This sculptural work explores the philosophical notion of ontological relativity, as proposed by W.V.O. Quine. It consists of three stacked wooden discs resembling tree trunk slices, topped with a patch of artificial grass. The entire structure is mounted on a white 3D printed base bearing the phrase “Ontological relativity.”
The viewer is invited to interpret the layered discs either as slices of a tree trunk or as geological sediment layers. This ambiguity illustrates how the same sensory data can yield different meanings depending on the conceptual framework imposed. The grass atop the structure evokes life or surface reality—complicating the ontological reading.
Quine’s theory suggests that what exists is not absolute, but relative to the language and theory used to describe it. This work materializes that idea: the object remains constant, but its meaning shifts with the viewer’s interpretive lens. It becomes a prompt for reflection on how we construct reality through language, theory, and perception.