Ian Cheng's Emissary Forks at Perfection at Espace Louis Vuitton Venezia

The Espace Louis Vuitton Venezia, part of the 'Beyond the Walls' series that brings works from the Vuitton Collection to stores in Venice, Monaco, Tokyo, and Beijing, presents Ian Cheng's 'Emissary Forks at Perfection' on the top floor of the Venetian store. Cheng (Los Angeles, 1984) is known for creating self-sustaining digital worlds that evolve unpredictably from initial inputs. The installation features a large horizontal screen displaying the second chapter of his 'Emissaries' trilogy (2015–2017). An 'emissary' guides viewers through autonomous actions generated by Cheng's digital creatures—animal, mineral, and vegetable entities endowed with specific traits that interact freely. Cameras move through the action, enhancing the vertiginous feel of a narrative resembling a video game but without fully sharing its mechanics.