In the end, it's all the same thing

A journey into deep time that travels through a tree of life, genetic ancestry, ancient microorganisms, cycles of birth and death, and the shared memories of two brothers. Melding the respective visual and sonic practices of Hermanos Riffo Gómez (Cristo and Francisco Riffo), this performance intertwines intimate recollections with the memory of nature and the cosmos. Through the growth and modification of microscopic organisms, the artists explore themes of migration, family heritage, and fraternal symbiosis. The piece begins in a 3D environment inspired by the artists’ native Chile that navigates through the Andes, roots and branches of trees, empty houses, and interior rooms. This visual universe gradually transforms, giving way to live imagery captured by microscopes installed inside the dome, combining 3D and darkfield microscopy, long-duration time-lapse footage, and live biological samples manipulated in real time. Each transformation of the evolving samples segments a new chapter in the journey. The sounds emerging from these microscopic landscapes are turned into a live musical composition, through a multichannel ambisonic audio system. Echoing the brothers’ familial and creative bond, the relations between the cells reflect their collaborative process. In the end, it’s all the same thing unfolds a moving meditation on memory, belonging and the entanglement of time.