Metahuman artist MonoC undergoes a “gemorphosis” after falling in love with rubies in a two-part video collaboration sponsored by Gemfields, a world-leading supplier of responsibly sourced colored gemstones.
MonoC (pronounced "maa·nok") doesn't exist in real life, yet she has nearly 50,000 followers on Instagram and is sought out by top brands to endorse products. The metaverse jetsetter is able to form meaningful connections between her subject matter and the audience without the inherent human limitations of space and time, according to her creators.
In the first of two 30-second videos created for Gemfields, MonoC explores her surreal interpretation of where rubies are formed. She steps through a portal and finds herself in a fancifully world of radiant red gemstones.
"Within the @gemfields ruby world, I could feel the rubies around me like a pulse, like a heartbeat," MonoC wrote on Instagram. "It put me in a trance and I felt oddly contemplative. Questions arose. How can moments in time be kept eternal? How do you make a feeling last forever? These are the sort of thoughts seeping into my mind while thinking of the enduring power of love. I wonder, could that feeling be found in a physical form? Could a mineral formed by Mother Nature capture the essence of love? Did these rubies hold the secret?"
In the second video, we see MonoC drawn into the story of passion and devotion. She gazes into a red gemstone and sees a couple whose affection for one another is mirrored by the pulsating rubies in the air. This couple’s love culminates in a proposal, with a ruby engagement ring as a symbol of their commitment to each other.
MonoC's "gemorphosis" is complete and we see her transforming into a faceted, ruby-like incarnation of her former self.
MonoC commented about the second video on Instagram: "I picked up a @gemfields ruby and within its fiery red depths I saw a story. A memory of a couple, deep in love, who chose this ruby in the moment when their love shone greatly. Did they choose this ruby or did the ruby choose them? It seems as though the ruby is as much a part of their love as they are. The story of the couple is entwined with the ruby, etched deep inside as an everlasting memory of a moment in time. Eternal love."
MonoC, whose name is a shortened version of "Monochromatic," is a virtual influencer conceived by Hong Kong-based Gusto Collective. Led by CEO Aaron Lau, the future-facing company traverses seamlessly across the physical and virtual worlds to provide immersive content and experiences for numerous brands.
"MonoC is born out of data, but lives for art," Lau stated in a press release. "Art has always been a powerful communicator, connecting artist and audience, and today's digital art makes this connection more immediate, more immersive and more enthralling."
“Collaborating with MonoC has enabled us to adopt a surrealist perspective to explore the powerful feelings that can be evoked by the meaningful gift of a gemstone,” said Emily Dungey, Gemfields’ marketing and communications director. “This two-part film explores the profound symbolism of love, and the natural fit for ruby as its keepsake. Rubies are instinctively symbolic of passion, emotion and the connection some of us are lucky enough to forge with the one we love.”
Please check out the videos at this link…
Credits: Images courtesy of Gemfields x MonoC GEMORPHOSIS.