“ Galactic Date 42.305.78 Dearest Chimezirim, Nze is thriving! His latest servicing upgraded his whisker sensors - - he can now detect distress from two light-years away. A remarkable gift, truly. In my research. I’ve uncovered something astonishing - - humans once had real pets! Dogs, cats even creatures called “golfish” (purpose unknown). They were warm, unpredictable, alive. But they vanished, lost to the Great Ecological Collapse, replaced by machines like Nze. What a world it must have been - - to hear a true purr, to feel real fur. I envy them. Give my regards to your parrot, Adamma. Yours in discovery, Prof C. O. Igwe-Otugoh” Created during my time at the Rockefeller Bellagio Center in Italy (February, 2025), and exhibited by Kate Vass Galerie as part of "Iconoclast", my solo show at the Digital Art Mile during Art Basel 2025.