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Cycles of Matter

Online Viewing:
October 22 — October 30 2024

Cycles of Matter compiles the work of 21 graphic design students at the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague investigating geological filmmaking, weather cinema, and digital landscapes. Through audio visual material we formulate various positions within imaginary climate narratives.

From the fossils deep below to the scorching sun above, we explore anthropocentric perspectives. What are the new cinematic languages of the Anthropocene and our society today? The earth's cycles—of carbon, water, life—are reframed through new storytelling methods, inviting us to rethink our place within these larger systems. A loop, a dialogue, an auditory experience where humans, ecosystems, and inanimate objects tell their part of the story.

Participating Students: Suzie Veldhuijzen, Miron Konurbaev, Omid Nemalhabib, Vici Feger, Klaudia Orczykowska, Alex Rainer, Frederico Pereira, Maya Curé, Eva Georgescu, Allegra Caricato, Martina Dabbicco, Pyotr Golub, Jiyun Nam, Simcha van der Veen, Andre Kahveciyan, Vlad Omelianenko, Malva Askerup, Farabelle Calicher, Meabh O'Halloran, Maja Usak, Silva Zeller

As You Go

While looking for our subject we couldn’t find them they were nowhere to be seen and nowhere to be heard documenting our surroundings looking for our subject we found there was always a constant an ever-present sound and movement but it was never our subject that we could hear or see it was always what they touched or what they went by these interactions made our subject tangible what exists may not necessarily be visible what affects every moment of daily life sometimes imposes itself interacting with our subject we invited them to contribute to our story although they are given a specific role to play, they decide whether to face the situation kindly or cruelly.

As You Go

Suzie Veldhuijzen, Miron Konurbaev, Omid Nemalhabib, Vici Feger

Wind - 3'12"

No iPhones allowed in the garden of paradise

⌞ No iPhones Allowed in the Garden of Paradise ⌝ is an ongoing research on the visual and audio #aesthetics ོ༘₊⁺☀︎ of user interfaces and operating systems #interconnection of nature and technology and the #cognitive influence of natural environments in the digital spaces. Focused on sound designed from UI and OS sounds.

No iPhones allowed in the garden of paradise

Klaudia Orczykowska

Radiation - 2'59"

Shelltrix

Tonight, 25 year old Gerion falls in the arms of Morpheus. His mind starts wandering through the twists, turns and worries that nest in his world. We dive into the character's instant archive, mixing memories, anxieties and of course the universe in which we live.

Shelltrix

Alex Rainer, Frederico Pereira, Maya Curé

Water Currents 5'18"

We're waiting for you home, dearly

“we’re waiting for you home, dearly” is a collaborative work between me and my parents. The work presents a small village in the Romanian mountains, where an Austrian company is extracting oil. The project tells the story of Plopeasa, a once lively place. Most of its inhabitants were working for the company, but in the span of 10 years they moved abroad to find work, due to mass lay-offs.

We're waiting for you home, dearly

Eva Georgescu

Wind 2'50"

HyperFossil by I.R.I

The project explores the concept of the Anthropocene, the geological era in which the Earth’s environment, in all its physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, is profoundly shaped by human activity, both locally and globally. This transformation challenges humanity’s role in the living world, highlighting the increasing isolation humans are experiencing due to technological progress and the expansion of cities, moving ever further away from nature. In this context, humanity is self-excluding from the rest of the living world, provoking a growing sense of loneliness that reflects not only the disconnection from natural ecosystems but also the creation of lasting traces, manifestations of our presence on Earth. These traces, which we might consider as the future fossils of the Anthropocene era, represent a paradox: objects created to be temporary, but which, due to their durability, could persist for millennia, forming new geological layers. The question that arises is: what will the relationship be between the fossils of the present and those of the past? Fossils, throughout geological history, have borne witness to the evolution of life on Earth. In the Anthropocene, however, our imprint leaves behind objects that transcend our immediate and concrete perception, leading to the concept of the HyperObject: entities of vast spatial and temporal dimensions, manifesting in a multiplicity of forms, difficult to define and perceive as a single unit. While the fossils of the past tell stories of life and evolution, the fossils of the future, produced by our technological civilization, may bear witness to an era of detachment and alienation. This raises the question: what will human and technological fossils have in common with natural ones? In this way, the fossils of the Anthropocene are not merely objects but become metaphors for the human condition in an era of increasing isolation from nature. Reflecting on the speed of the future, we wonder how rapidly these traces will accumulate, leaving testimony to a humanity that, in its attempt to dominate the world, has ended up separating itself from it.

HyperFossil by I.R.I

Allegra Caricato, Martina Dabbicco, Pyotr Golub

Fossils 3'34"

Drenched in air

‘Drenched in Air’ captures the uncomfortable feeling of humidity and sweating. It explores how heavy sweating feels on a personal level—sticky, heavy, and suffocating—while also touching on how humidity affects the environment, like causing rust and mold to form. In nature these traces grow more gradual, think of rust, mold and moss. But on our own body, these traces take the form of sweat stains, taking the form of all types of ambiguous shapes. The sounds mimic the slow buildup of moisture, from the drip of condensation to thick, humid air, creating a sense of discomfort. The piece highlights how humidity changes both the body and the natural world over time, reflecting on decay and transformation.

Drenched in air

Jiyun Nam, Simcha van der Veen

Humidity 2'27"

The sun said, something that was not true, the sun lied.

The sun said, something that wasn’t true, the sun lied. ‘purple flower shadow on the steps, the shadow is falling on itself, she could’ve gone straight. The shadow of the bird goes so fast’, said Farabelle. ‘What do you think about the sun today?’ said Malva. ‘Sometimes the shadow is bigger than the object itself’, said Andre. ‘We have a big sunflower field back home’, said Vlad, ‘who is obsessed with the sun?’ What time is it, sun?

The sun said, something that was not true, the sun lied.

Andre Kahveciyan, Vlad Omelianenko, Malva Askerup, Farabelle Calicher

Sun 0'00"

Just because you think someone is watching you doesn't mean they aren't

Safe and unseen in office with the feet on the table a surveillance worker has a real sense of security and lets their thoughts wander. During a long day at the job, curiosity —„I wonder if they know someone is watching?”—eventually turns into a real question of „Can they see me?”

Just because you think someone is watching you doesn't mean they aren't

Meabh O'Halloran, Maja Usak, Silva Zeller

Clouds 5'50"