The Desert
Video, 2023
About the artwork
The Desert (Part 3)
The Desert might be the last place you'd expect to find a whale. Here, the whale reaches its most desperate stage in its search for connection. The video begins with a school of fish that transforms into a murmuration of birds, perfectly synchronized in their movement. Each bird in a murmuration follows its seven closest neighbors and ignores the rest.
The whale then encounters a desolate landscape: uninhabited hotels with “No wifi” No signal, internet-free signs, empty roads, and telephone poles and power lines stretching endlessly into the distance. The heat and isolation of the desert can induce hallucinations, and it's here that the whale finds dancing whale and animal bones.
Morse code is introduced through one of the electrical towers, mimicking the clicking sounds the whale uses to communicate.
R U There? is a 4-part video series that explores the meaning of connection in modern society. The series follows a whale using bioluminescent echolocation, whale songs, vocalizations, and “clicks” as it journeys through different worlds in search of meaningful connections.
At the start and end of each video, sound and images link the series together, creating a continuous thread that underscores the theme of connection. This approach aims to connect the owners of these videos, if only for a brief moment, with others who experience the series.
Created and edited by Floam World using Runway Gen-2, Runway Gen-3, Dalle3, Midjourney, magnific.ai, and 3D Software.
Sound design by Floam World
Audio explanation
Listen to Floam World discuss this work.
Floam World is the creation of artist Leilanni Todd. In this surreal and playful reality, the sentient "FLOAM" rules all as Todd uses humor and absurdity to challenge traditional norms while exploring personal and complex societal issues.
Floam World serves as a platform for Todd to explore themes that resonate with her, such as climate change and its impact on the environment and animals, fashion and beauty standards, the female perspective, and consumer culture. With years of experience crafting advertising campaigns, she often incorporates parody and commentary on consumerism into her work. Growing up in Canada, surrounded by nature, Todd developed a deep love for the environment and its small creatures, a passion reflected in the recurring Floamies. Early memories of being by the water and the sense of freedom she felt continue to inspire her work.
She studied Art Direction at the Ontario College of Art & Design and completed the Advanced Visual Studies 5th-Year Program in Florence, Italy, with a final body of work and thesis focused on semiotics. In 2013, she launched her eco-conscious ready-to-wear line and later introduced her swimwear line, LEILANNI.
An award-winning creative director with two decades of experience in advertising and fashion, Todd’s work has been recognized at Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, and The Clios, and has been featured in publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Wired, among others. Her recent projects include the 3D animated short film Scrimps Need Love Too, which screened at BAM, and the AI short Everyone is Chair, showcased at the 2024 Tribeca Festival. Based in New York, Todd continues to push the boundaries of her art practice using 3D media and generative AI.