Mah Meri: The Spirit Within

School

Dasein Academy of Art

Lecturer(s)

Fong Kheng Wai

Brand

Mah Meri: The Spirit Within

Rational

Public awareness of the Mah Meri, one of Malaysia’s Indigenous tribes, remains extremely low, as shown by exhibition survey findings where almost all visitors had never heard of them. Their cultural identity has become increasingly overlooked as modernisation accelerates. This project responds by using digital media to support cultural preservation and reintroduce their stories to contemporary audiences.

The installation uses interactive projection mapping to present Mah Meri spiritual narratives through motion design and infrared sensor technology. Projected across two intersecting walls with a 3D mask at the centre, the space becomes an immersive environment where visuals unfold in response to visitors’ infrared torchlight. A tracking system detects the light and triggers hidden visual layers in TouchDesigner, turning the act of shining the torch into a bridge between tradition and technology.

The project aims to make Indigenous culture accessible to younger audiences while