Speculations on artificial intelligence (as a form of artificially created organisms) and hypotheses of astrobiology allow us to reflect on what we actually have in common with forms of existence other than our own.

In the words of Félix Guattari, the Chaosmic, constantly mutating universe can be made of various kinds of emergent phenomena, be it animal, vegetative, machinist or cosmic forms of existence. Numerous theories attempt to explain how life on the Earth came about, and whether there are similar phenomena in other parts of the universe. The "shadow biosphere" theory, based on rock surface deposits found in deserts on Earth that have unique chemical compositions that separate them from the environment, is one of many theories that attempts to explain how life on Earth evolved. Another theory with the same goal is "panspermia". It tells us that the "seed" of life on the planet Earth came from outer space, through the impact of a comet or asteroid that led to a series of changes and the creation of new compounds and organisms on Earth.

The idea of highly evolved forms of artificial (or non-carbon based) intelligence is a disruptive idea, as is the idea that there may be other lifeforms in the cosmos that we may not be able to understand. How does consciousness manifest itself and what physical appearances do we think consciousness must have in order for this form of existence to be acceptable or even recognisable to us? At the same time, an interesting question might be: In what situations might "homely" earthly forms mutate to such an extent that they become alien and unfamiliar to us?

This episode of the AvantGarden series, Sphere3 Plasma Sector, is a standalone virtual reality work where in a hypothetical extraterrestrial space we discover elements of the cosmic garden. Coming from interstellar plasma clouds to Sphere3 Plasma Sector, micro planetary bodies and certain elements are in an interplay that creates a spontaneous emerging ecosystem. Particles, white holes, asteroids, quantum loops, plasma and biological ur-forms exist in a dynamic ecosphere. Artificially intelligent biomimetic forms are found in the landscape along with meteorite rain, particles circulating around other elements, sounds emitted by bodies floating in space and potentially living inorganic forms arising from plasma. The elements that create the Plasma Sector ecosystem convey our eternal and existential questions, parts of which are slowly resolved while other, new and more complex questions are simultaneously raised.