Through observing the large amounts of waste in trash bins, I reflected on the philosophical meaning of alchemy—turning an ordinary stone into gold, symbolically transforming the useless into the useful, and giving meaning to the meaningless. Theater of Elements: Act V is an immersive installation exploring impermanence, transformation, and the fluid relationship between humans and their environment. The elements in the work are all made from discarded materials I collected from trash bins. Inspired by the ancient Greek concept of the four elements—water, fire, earth, and air—and the symbolic practices of alchemy, the piece transforms everyday objects into dynamic carriers of light and meaning, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.

The installation is informed by personal memories, particularly my experiences growing up in a rapidly urbanizing coastal town. Through projections, recycled materials, and chemical experiments, natural elements are reimagined as ephemeral, weightless presences that interact with viewers’ movements, blurring the boundaries between material and immaterial, rural and urban, past and present.

By layering and juxtaposing images of the elements onto physical objects, the work creates a multidimensional sensory experience, informed by phenomenology, spatial montage, and expanded cinema, forming a dynamic stage of light and motion that invites active participation and reflection on the cycles of time, memory, and human labor.

At the same time, the installation engages with the philosophical notions of emptiness and impermanence, encouraging viewers to contemplate the fleeting nature of existence, the continuous transformation of matter, and the ever-evolving relationship between humans and their environment. Ultimately, Theater of Elements: Act V transforms everyday life and natural phenomena into a poetic meditation on change, continuity, and the ephemeral beauty of the world.