I Wan’na Be Like You

“I Wan’na Be Like You is” a video in which they explore the Western image of the ‘jungle’, often seen as supposedly unexplored land that served as a symbol of desire for colonial powers. Through a complex process of photogrammetry, 3D-moulding and modelling, motion capture and CGI, Lukács & Broersen created a virtual representation of the conquered wilderness as it is preserved throughout the most important botanical gardens of Europe. It serves as a backdrop for an avatar dancing to an adaptation of I Wan’na Be Like You from Disney’s Jungle Book (1967). The song is reinterpreted by musician David Lukács as a tribute to the New Orleans jazz tradition. As an indictment of the underlying racism of the original and as a proud rendition of the history of their ancestors, Jamal Bijnoe and Orlando Ceder (Black Harmony) have rearranged the melody into the song Na Mi.