https://sebastienrobert.nl Sébastien Robert Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:32:43 +0000 https://sebastienrobert.nl en https://sebastienrobert.nl/Home Sat, 24 Sep 2022 19:40:17 +0000 Sébastien Robert https://sebastienrobert.nl/Home All But Silent <img width="3840" height="2560" width_o="3840" height_o="2560" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6b0d618dfbcd972e6a02e193d0f96a3705755cf3e5d03a7c3bb9f3c9a40f8fc5/All-But-Silent_Sonic-Acts_Pieter-Kiers.jpeg" data-mid="246776549" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6b0d618dfbcd972e6a02e193d0f96a3705755cf3e5d03a7c3bb9f3c9a40f8fc5/All-But-Silent_Sonic-Acts_Pieter-Kiers.jpeg" /> Oscillations <img width="4240" height="2832" width_o="4240" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a2b713f59458c45cf2a3097d9ca53152d92cc07920171f14ccdd89c9aeea5f9d/2024-09-27-_-Hoogtij-_-The_Grey_Space-_-Esmee_de_Vette-_-59.jpg" data-mid="221699060" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a2b713f59458c45cf2a3097d9ca53152d92cc07920171f14ccdd89c9aeea5f9d/2024-09-27-_-Hoogtij-_-The_Grey_Space-_-Esmee_de_Vette-_-59.jpg" /> Another Deep <img width="4500" height="3000" width_o="4500" height_o="3000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d22b56d3193f4f82ffe3ac7cd893eda55470c112e364da57433f4a5556096421/REWIRE2025_20250406_KamielScholten_SebastienRobert-MarkIJzerman_8.jpg" data-mid="232730183" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d22b56d3193f4f82ffe3ac7cd893eda55470c112e364da57433f4a5556096421/REWIRE2025_20250406_KamielScholten_SebastienRobert-MarkIJzerman_8.jpg" /> The Lights Which Can Be Heard <img width="5316" height="3537" width_o="5316" height_o="3537" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/38941c4922c3493d89e8ad666f7582377e47bd65f2dd20edf4a38a2decf0ba08/The-Sun-My-Father_Chroniques_-Pierre-Gondard.jpg" data-mid="171206295" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/38941c4922c3493d89e8ad666f7582377e47bd65f2dd20edf4a38a2decf0ba08/The-Sun-My-Father_Chroniques_-Pierre-Gondard.jpg" /> Back-and-forth <img width="6000" height="4000" width_o="6000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/95258175395c5092edda38c7fb6eee1b261e88e260f461fd957d46302c478b19/DSCF2627.JPG" data-mid="157977377" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/95258175395c5092edda38c7fb6eee1b261e88e260f461fd957d46302c478b19/DSCF2627.JPG" /> As Above, So Below <img width="1920" height="1280" width_o="1920" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5f6c7f311f724f2c5c188236294a7bc11d658ce1cebceabd5bfdc801f48a057d/As_Above_So_Below_FIBER_Festival_2020.jpg" data-mid="157977425" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5f6c7f311f724f2c5c188236294a7bc11d658ce1cebceabd5bfdc801f48a057d/As_Above_So_Below_FIBER_Festival_2020.jpg" /> The Kultrun of Cañon del Blanco <img width="1920" height="1280" width_o="1920" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dda400716c0cc2e68c4e11434ead2c0999fc36f87a68deb1010e33c1a12e82b9/Sutdy-of-crystal-growth.jpg" data-mid="157977498" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/dda400716c0cc2e68c4e11434ead2c0999fc36f87a68deb1010e33c1a12e82b9/Sutdy-of-crystal-growth.jpg" /> The Forgotten Melodies of Pleng Arak <img width="3000" height="2000" width_o="3000" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e70c3fe72b7a12612b0feab7d8d41e8f68dde299c4d1d0486208f2ab5709e156/The_Forgotten_Melodies_of_Pleng_Arak_01.jpg" data-mid="160102385" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e70c3fe72b7a12612b0feab7d8d41e8f68dde299c4d1d0486208f2ab5709e156/The_Forgotten_Melodies_of_Pleng_Arak_01.jpg" /> .project-list { position: fixed; top: 50%; left: 50%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%); width: 100%; text-align: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; gap: 0; } .project-item { line-height: 1; } .hover-title { display: inline-block; } https://sebastienrobert.nl/Site-Menu Wed, 02 Nov 2022 19:29:12 +0000 Sébastien Robert https://sebastienrobert.nl/Site-Menu https://sebastienrobert.nl/Agenda Fri, 27 Jun 2025 17:38:28 +0000 Sébastien Robert https://sebastienrobert.nl/Agenda Upcoming Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival Deicxhman BjørvikaScreening + Lecture Oslo, Norway17.09.2026 The Taskiwin of High Atlas DARKOUMResidency Agadir, Morocco28.09.2026 — 12.10.2026 Current Creativity(ies) in Tension: Ritual Forms, Technological Hybridations, and Sensory Transmissions Casa de Velázquez — Université Côte d'AzurPractice-based PhD Madrid, Spain — Nice, France2026 — 2029 2026 More than Human Light Art MuseumExhibition Budapest, Hungary01.09.2025 — 30.06.2026 Electromagnetic Fields: Artistic Research and Radio Waves CRiSAPLecture London, United Kingdom09.06.2026 The Crystal Forest LABVERDEResidency + Lecture Manaus, Brazil09.04.2026 — 19.04.2026 Sonic Acts Biennale Het Documentaire PaviljoenExhibition + Lecture Amsterdam, The Netherlands20.02.2026 — 08.03.2026 2025 Magnetic Fluctuations EMSResidency Stockholm, Sweden01.12.2025 — 07.12.2025 Warming Up Festival Stadsschouwburg UtrechtPerformance Utrecht, The Netherlands31.10.2025 Magnetic Fluctuations EDHEA's School of ArtWorkshop Sierre, Switzerland27.10.2025 — 29.10.2025 Simultan Festival Garrison CommandPerformance Timișoara, Romania02.10.2025 Biennale Son La CentraleExhibition + Performance Sion, Switzerland30.08.2025 — 30.11.2025 Rewire Festival Theater Aan Het SpuiPerformance + Lecture The Hague, The Netherlands07.04.2025 TEC ART 2025 KatoenhuisExhibition Rotterdam, The Netherlands27.03.2025 — 30.03.2025 Multiplica Lab RotondesExhibition + Performance + Lecture Luxembourg, Luxembourg22.02.2025 — 23.02.2025 Biennale Chroniques GMEMResidency + Performance Marseille, France08.01.2025 — 17.01.2025 2024 The Lights Which Can Be Heard ArticaResidency + Lecture Longyearbyen, Norway02.12.2024 — 16.12.2024 Re~earch ~shape ~store Royal Conservatoire The HagueWorkshop The Hague, The Netherlands11.11.2024 — 15.11.2024 If Only We Could Master Miracles KunstfortExhibition + Lecture Vijfhuizen, The Netherlands06.10.2024 — 15.12.2024 You’re no Bird of Paradise House of European InstitutesLecture Timișoara, Romania19.10.2024 Oscillations The Grey Space in The MiddleResidency + Performance The Hague, The Netherlands26.08.2024 — 30.08.202427.09.2024 Phantom Vision Light Art MuseumExhibition Budapest, Hungary06.08.2024 – 28.07.2025 Oscillations GMEMResidency Marseille, France15.07.2024 — 19.07.2024 The Lights Which Can Be Heard Willem Twee StudiosResidency Den Bosch, The Netherlands17.06.2024 — 30.06.2024 AfterLand Rezidența9Exhibition Bucharest, Romania04.06.2024 — 26.06.2024 Sprouts Film Festival Moving Arts Center Amsterdam (MACA)Performance Amsterdam, The Netherlands11.05.2024 Dans La Nature Espace Multimédia GantnerExhibition Bourogne, France12.04.2024 — 13.07.2024 Festival ZERO1 Various venuesExhibition + Performance + Workshop La Rochelle, France27.03.2024 — 31.03.2024 TRYDAY V2_Residency + Performance Rotterdam, The Netherlands11.03.2024 — 15.03.2024 Sonic Acts EYE MuseumPerformance Amsterdam, The Netherlands05.03.2024 https://sebastienrobert.nl/All-But-Silent Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:32:43 +0000 Sébastien Robert https://sebastienrobert.nl/All-But-Silent Video (24′44″), multichannel sound, custom-made software, aluminium375 × 375 × 200 cmInstallation view at Sonic Acts Biennial© Pieter Kers In a moonlit valley in Svalbard, an artist-researcher and a radio astronomer set up a network of antennas and microphones, united by their desire to investigate the sound phenomena that can occur during the northern lights. Ice fractures the stillness; radio waves hum; the magnetic sky crackles. The darkness feels anything but silent, it feels inhabited. For centuries, Arctic communities have not only seen the northern lights but also heard them. Could there be a sonic world different from what Western science can explain? In the oily black waters of the industrial harbor, in an ice cave beneath a glacier, and in the local chapel, voices emerge as they try to articulate their encounters with a phenomenon that defies comprehension. Scientists, elders, teenagers, tourists, and miners all return to a moment when they not only saw, but also heard the lights. Presented as an audiovisual installation, All But Silent immerses visitors in a sculptural space, sensitive to their movements. Human presence and auroral data merge in real time, transforming the installation into a living, evolving artwork that blurs the boundary between perception and cosmic vibration. A sensory journey that invites us to listen differently. To the whispers of the cosmos and our own resonance within it. <img width="3840" height="2160" width_o="3840" height_o="2160" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c19d91c5667885ff0b9a6edb2924be268b1fe011dfbfbaa0a5b2458c13e94c74/Hearing-Auror_Still_06.png" data-mid="246776472" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c19d91c5667885ff0b9a6edb2924be268b1fe011dfbfbaa0a5b2458c13e94c74/Hearing-Auror_Still_06.png" /><img width="3840" height="2160" width_o="3840" height_o="2160" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/33debd0a5c0d1250d79a10d44119f7613aee8f636925c86c224e0be88cbf7b94/Hearing-Auror_Still_03.png" data-mid="246776469" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/33debd0a5c0d1250d79a10d44119f7613aee8f636925c86c224e0be88cbf7b94/Hearing-Auror_Still_03.png" /> <img width="3840" height="2160" width_o="3840" height_o="2160" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cd7c5bcddd6c6fc8feaad82c2b60d964ac3266a4678aa711fea96acceeb11517/Hearing-Auror_Still_05.png" data-mid="246776471" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cd7c5bcddd6c6fc8feaad82c2b60d964ac3266a4678aa711fea96acceeb11517/Hearing-Auror_Still_05.png" /><img width="3840" height="2160" width_o="3840" height_o="2160" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dd741647e18acef79e23bf9d09787d4a3f06fd6f2cbf5b71fc6cacae333f55a6/Hearing-Auror_Still_04.png" data-mid="246776470" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/dd741647e18acef79e23bf9d09787d4a3f06fd6f2cbf5b71fc6cacae333f55a6/Hearing-Auror_Still_04.png" /> Credits Co-produced by Sonic Acts &amp; Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival. With the financial support of Mondriaan Fund, Creative Industries Fund NL, Nederlands Filmfonds, Amarte Fonds &amp; Institut français – Norvège&nbsp; With Louise Ernandez (film director, writer &amp; editor), Irwin Barbé (sound, writer &amp; editor), Nicolas Jardin (director of photography &amp; colour grading), Rob Stammes (technical director) &amp; Lisa Bakk Bøen (guide &amp; production coordinator) With the technical help of Anaïs Lossouarn (installation design &amp; production), Léo Huet (software), Jędrzej Eltman (3D design) &amp; Aliona Ciobanu (graphic design) Initiated during the Artica Svalbard residency (Longyearbyen, NO) https://sebastienrobert.nl/Oscillations Sun, 15 Oct 2023 18:14:07 +0000 Sébastien Robert https://sebastienrobert.nl/Oscillations Performance at The Grey Space in the Middle © Esmée de Vette Oscillations is an artistic project centred on a trans-Mediterranean instrument: the bagpipe. The name reflects the bagpipe’s rhythmic and pulsating sound, which evolves and varies over time. It highlights the dynamic interplay between the instrument’s resonance and its environment and the cyclical and continuous shifts in its cultural and historical contexts. The first iteration of this project features 3D-cloned bagpipes from the collection of Mucem - The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations in Marseille (FR), which Sébastien Robert had the opportunity to explore during his residency in 2023. These replicas are brought to life by a unique custom-made system designed and produced by contemporary instrument maker Léo Maurel (Facture Instrumentale peu Commune), in collaboration with art engineer Benjamin Maus (allesblinkt) and designer Luuk Meints (AMEI). This instrument invites the audience to experience, embody, and reflect on the interconnectedness of Mediterranean cultures through one of its most symbolic instruments. The work critically examines the concept of traditions, often mistakenly perceived as unique and static entities. In reality, traditions are a blend of various cultures, in constant motion and continuously trans ~mitted ~formed ~slated over time. <img width="2832" height="4240" width_o="2832" height_o="4240" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c008ea0fe72f148b23cc907f214ded8e4f65db33cc16464bce0c32fc32196f54/2024-09-27-_-Hoogtij-_-The_Grey_Space-_-Esmee_de_Vette-_-25.jpg" data-mid="221697588" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c008ea0fe72f148b23cc907f214ded8e4f65db33cc16464bce0c32fc32196f54/2024-09-27-_-Hoogtij-_-The_Grey_Space-_-Esmee_de_Vette-_-25.jpg" /> <img width="2774" height="4153" width_o="2774" height_o="4153" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/68976fe9ac5b1873cf90c772a1a997b782b83fdeb76ebc0516647430cd6ca6f0/2024-09-27-_-Hoogtij-_-The_Grey_Space-_-Esmee_de_Vette-_-56.jpg" data-mid="221697595" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/68976fe9ac5b1873cf90c772a1a997b782b83fdeb76ebc0516647430cd6ca6f0/2024-09-27-_-Hoogtij-_-The_Grey_Space-_-Esmee_de_Vette-_-56.jpg" /> Performance at The Grey Space in the Middle © Esmée de Vette&nbsp; Credits Initiated during the Iméra x Mucem residency (Marseille, FR) With the financial support of Creative Funds NL With the technical help of Luuk Meints (3D), Léo Maurel (hardware) and Benjamin Maus (software) Under the supervision of Marie-Barbara Le Gonidec https://sebastienrobert.nl/Another-Deep Sun, 15 Oct 2023 18:07:31 +0000 Sébastien Robert https://sebastienrobert.nl/Another-Deep Single-channel A/V Performance at Rewire Festival© Kamiel Scholten Another Deep is an A/V live performance and installation in collaboration with Mark IJzerman, transporting the audience to the ocean depths near Svalbard, Norway, to confront the layered realities of imminent deep-sea mining. Through intricate soundscapes and intimate visual experiences, the project immerses the audience in the presence of the raw materials—vital for modern technologies like smartphones and electric vehicles—whose extraction transforms ecosystems and fuels geopolitical tensions. Another Deep envelops the audience in sound: the haunting calls of belugas and sperm whales, the crackling of melting glaciers—both above and below the surface—and the deep vibrations of the ocean floor. These sounds, captured using hydrophones and ultrasensitive microphones during the Arctic Circle Residency program, blend with visuals of the ocean floor, archival footage, and microscopic footage. Together, they juxtapose the unseen—marine life, retreating ice, and microscopic plankton from Svalbard’s waters—with the tangible: actual deep-sea polymetallic nodules, presented in an installation that represents the mechanics of deep-sea drilling. This interplay reveals the forces of life, industry, and transformation at work in the region. Another Deep prompts reflection on the deep entanglement of human activity and natural systems, revealing the Arctic as a place of both fragile beauty and profound changes. It invites the audience to reflect on what is gained—and what is lost—when extraction reshapes ecosystems, and to grasp its broader environmental, social, and political ripples. <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8a1f781138c5f06775320f0d870fe3ee1a4c34820b798b4e31d1e4cb2903bbcc/17_Cloture_vendredi-17-janvier_Friche_Basse-def_Gregoire-Edouard.jpg" data-mid="225994736" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8a1f781138c5f06775320f0d870fe3ee1a4c34820b798b4e31d1e4cb2903bbcc/17_Cloture_vendredi-17-janvier_Friche_Basse-def_Gregoire-Edouard.jpg" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3610171c0981ebb08cc601fd4f2976f0db6824d5d495831f84d1d378f6b3b6c0/19_Cloture_vendredi-17-janvier_Friche_Basse-def_Gregoire-Edouard.jpg" data-mid="225994694" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3610171c0981ebb08cc601fd4f2976f0db6824d5d495831f84d1d378f6b3b6c0/19_Cloture_vendredi-17-janvier_Friche_Basse-def_Gregoire-Edouard.jpg" /> Another Deep (2025)Mutli-channel A/V PerformanceBiennale des Imaginaires Numériques© Grégoire Édouard Credits A/V live performance and installation in collaboration with Mark IJzerman Co-produced by BEK - Bergen Centre for Electronic Arts, V2_ - Lab for the Unstable Media, CHRONIQUES - Biennale des Imaginaires Numériques, the GMEM - Centre national de création musicale and Multiplica / Rotondes With the financial support of Creative Industries Fund NL, Mondriaan Fund, Amarte Fonds, Stroom Den Haag, The French Institute of Norway and Culture Moves Europe With the technical help of Nick Mansveld (kinetic installation), Michelle Barker (underwater drone), Diane Willow (microscopy), the EYE Museum, the National Library of Norway and the University of Edinburgh (archives) Initiated during the Arctic Circle Residency (Svalbard, NO) https://sebastienrobert.nl/The-Lights-Which-Can-Be-Heard Tue, 16 Aug 2022 21:20:33 +0000 Sébastien Robert https://sebastienrobert.nl/The-Lights-Which-Can-Be-Heard The Sun, My Father (2022)Synaesthetic installationAluminium, Quartz, Custom-made LED light Biennale des Imaginaires Numériques© Pierre Gondard The Lights Which Can Be Heard is an artistic research project on the sounds of the Northern Lights, long witnessed by various indigenous communities in the Arctic. Despite the numerous testimonies, the Western scientific community denied their existence for decades until some hypotheses about their origin began to surface in the 1950s, which are still subject to debate today. Among the different theories, some think that the observer/listener can perceive in their environment the natural VLF (Very Low Frequency) radio waves produced by the Northern Lights. Some natural elements, such as minerals or crystals, would act as receivers and transform the electromagnetic radio waves into the audible, acoustic spectrum. <img width="3204" height="4806" width_o="3204" height_o="4806" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6c1ea76018093c780a56367cae4a49554bcd614a8967cd55330a0a3ffdb8dc81/The-Sun-My-Father_Chroniques_01.jpg" data-mid="171202064" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6c1ea76018093c780a56367cae4a49554bcd614a8967cd55330a0a3ffdb8dc81/The-Sun-My-Father_Chroniques_01.jpg" /> <img width="4000" height="6000" width_o="4000" height_o="6000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1f37581e3949b1c6f29e74bcf474826d837b443d420304d2edd7e565138ed532/The-Sun-My-Father_Chroniques_03.jpg" data-mid="171202065" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1f37581e3949b1c6f29e74bcf474826d837b443d420304d2edd7e565138ed532/The-Sun-My-Father_Chroniques_03.jpg" /> The Sun, My Father (2022)Synaesthetic installationAluminium, Quartz, Custom-made LED light Biennale des Imaginaires Numériques© Sébastien Robert Without rejecting any of them, this is the one that caught Sébastien’s attention for his project. Despite successful recordings following a three-week residency in Andøya, Norway, Sébastien realised that the VLF waves emitted by the Northern Lights are becoming increasingly difficult to perceive due to anthropocentric activity. Drowned by artificial signals, these natural radio waves are bound to disappear from our perception. Inspired by this unique context and in continuity with his previous work, Sébastien approached this ongoing debate from different angles: indigenous, poetic and scientific, giving voice to each stakeholder while incorporating his own vision. The result is four interconnected works at the intersection of visual and sound arts, technology, science and ethnography, which allow the audience to perceive the sounds of the Northern Lights while preserving them in the light. <img width="3999" height="5998" width_o="3999" height_o="5998" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f77cdf8de7e126db13177a18d385f61a431b3fbeac20ca34a4cd35889ea6a037/Magnetic-Fluctuations_Chroniques_01.jpg" data-mid="171203905" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f77cdf8de7e126db13177a18d385f61a431b3fbeac20ca34a4cd35889ea6a037/Magnetic-Fluctuations_Chroniques_01.jpg" /> <img width="2282" height="3423" width_o="2282" height_o="3423" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/95dfd7d3397a4078d4c0d0b9f1933a3066a904b6d967b898f1dac4d7ccb79ea3/Magnetic-Fluctuations_Chroniques_02.jpg" data-mid="171203906" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/95dfd7d3397a4078d4c0d0b9f1933a3066a904b6d967b898f1dac4d7ccb79ea3/Magnetic-Fluctuations_Chroniques_02.jpg" /> Magnetic Fluctuations (2022) Real-time generative sound installationIn collaboration with Rob Stammes (Polar Light Center) Make Noise shared system + LED screenBiennale des Imaginaires Numériques© Sébastien Robert Credits Co-produced by Plateforme CHRONIQUES CRÉATIONS with the support of Région Sud, the city of Marseille and the French Institute in Paris, coordinated by SECONDE NATURE and ZINC. In partnership with Les Méjanes - Bibliothèque et Archives Michel Vovelle With the financial support of Stroom Den Haag, DICRéAM and Fonds [SCAN] Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. With the intellectual support of the Royal Library of the Netherlands, Tromsø Geophysical Observatory, Fiona Armery (University of Cambridge), Rob Stammes (Polar Light Center) and Harald Gaski (University of Tromsø) With technical support from Tony Rolando (Make Noise), Lucien Nicou (design + production), Leandros Ntolas (light + optics), Pim Kerssemakers (metalwork) and Mark IJzerman (software) Research commissioned by STRP Festival, initiated during the Arctic Wave residency (Andøya, NO) under the artistic supervision of Jean-Emmanuel Rosnet. https://sebastienrobert.nl/Back-and-forth Mon, 31 Oct 2022 19:59:36 +0000 Sébastien Robert https://sebastienrobert.nl/Back-and-forth Installation view at Into The Great Wide Open© Myles Merckel Back-and-forth is the result of several residencies in Vlieland (NL), where Sébastien discovered that at irregular intervals - but according to a ritual schedule - a powerful electromagnetic signal passes through the island for 20 minutes, before disappearing again into silence. This signal turned out to be a Weatherfax (or WEFAX), a weather map transmitted via radio waves from Hamburg (DE). This obsolete technology, used since the 1940s to share information with ships at sea and remote locations, originated from the work of Dutch cartographer and meteorologist Nicolas Kruik (1678-1754). Born in now disappeared West-Vlieland, he was the first to graphically represent weather data and to introduce symbols which are considered the forerunners of those used in today's weather maps. <img width="1280" height="1920" width_o="1280" height_o="1920" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cc4bcf3c50fcd0d150b961e90b4d1936c5cacec54bd2deb1a5eec5e2c8c35522/01.Nicolas-Kruik_inverted.jpg" data-mid="157553487" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cc4bcf3c50fcd0d150b961e90b4d1936c5cacec54bd2deb1a5eec5e2c8c35522/01.Nicolas-Kruik_inverted.jpg" /> <img width="1280" height="1920" width_o="1280" height_o="1920" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b1a3fbde7d58fe36a8bb66fcb800bc81667f90f2ccfd7ad6fa416255ed118290/02.Weatherfax_inverted.jpg" data-mid="157553488" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b1a3fbde7d58fe36a8bb66fcb800bc81667f90f2ccfd7ad6fa416255ed118290/02.Weatherfax_inverted.jpg" /> Extract from research (2021 — 2022) From L to R: Graphs of weather observations (1722) Source: Nicolaus Cruquius (1678 — 1754) and his meteorological observations. De Bilt, 1985 Weatherfax received on Vlieland (2021) © Sébastien Robert In the form of a site-specific generative installation, Back-and-forth, captures incoming Weatherfaxes transmissions, decodes them and draws them in the island’s sand, before being overwritten again. In addition to the literal visualisation of the data sent, the work gives the island the opportunity to express itself during the creative process: the surface of the sand changes over time according to variations in temperature, humidity and wind. The project brings a forgotten technology back to its birthplace while offering a critical look at our Cartesian desire to constantly predict the future, in contrast to the unpredictable reality of the island, as Sébastien experienced during his visits. The result is the creation of ever-changing abstract cartography and archives, materialised through a dialogue between technology and the forces of nature. <img width="4000" height="6000" width_o="4000" height_o="6000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8c0c991ea8f61545cb34be6ab0e700ef753dfc29733c6e0b669e1f8c76679358/DSCF2323.JPG" data-mid="157552107" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8c0c991ea8f61545cb34be6ab0e700ef753dfc29733c6e0b669e1f8c76679358/DSCF2323.JPG" /> <img width="4000" height="6000" width_o="4000" height_o="6000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c7455842c2adc4292b68460711cfdddf8e7223cc62b90b853fc635392b0d2070/DSCF2345.JPG" data-mid="157552697" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c7455842c2adc4292b68460711cfdddf8e7223cc62b90b853fc635392b0d2070/DSCF2345.JPG" /> Credits Site-specific generative installation Custom-made plotter, magnetic loop antenna, 50-inch monitor 150x150x40 cm, 2.500 kg of sand With the technical help of Zois Loumakis (G-code), Mark IJzerman (Python) and Myles Merckel (on-site) Commissioned by Into The Great Wide Open https://sebastienrobert.nl/As-Above-So-Below Tue, 16 Aug 2022 21:20:42 +0000 Sébastien Robert https://sebastienrobert.nl/As-Above-So-Below Live at FIBER Festival 2020© Pieter Kers As Above, So Below explores the changing landscape of La Araucanía region in south-central Chile through live visuals and sound. This A/V performance probes into the dualism of man’s relationship with nature via sonic research made by Sébastien Robert and investigative visuals created from satellite imagery as well as microscopic and drone footage by Mark IJzerman. During a residency in Chile they researched the logging industry that has been eroding the biodiversity of the region, causing disruption to the ecosystem. <img width="1334" height="2000" width_o="1334" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6a4a338a8f6d3378b4369c289bb1ce9e346a53fed8d70b3a551a0176e38327df/AASB-LGW-2021--Lisanne-Lentink-02.jpg" data-mid="153943925" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6a4a338a8f6d3378b4369c289bb1ce9e346a53fed8d70b3a551a0176e38327df/AASB-LGW-2021--Lisanne-Lentink-02.jpg" /> <img width="1333" height="2000" width_o="1333" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4b860b7d1e768096a17887a54075aae3608fb3bee2099f22f44634d2720134cc/AASB-LGW-2021--Lisanne-Lentink-01.jpg" data-mid="153943892" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4b860b7d1e768096a17887a54075aae3608fb3bee2099f22f44634d2720134cc/AASB-LGW-2021--Lisanne-Lentink-01.jpg" /> Live at Le Guess Who? Festival 2021© Lisanne Lentink https://sebastienrobert.nl/The-Kultrun-of-Canon-del-Blanco Tue, 16 Aug 2022 21:20:37 +0000 Sébastien Robert https://sebastienrobert.nl/The-Kultrun-of-Canon-del-Blanco Study of crystal growth (2020)Video work, 01:42 min In La Araucanía region of Chile, ancestral Mapuche rituals are under threat due to drastic changes caused by climate change, land expropriation and logging on the ecosystem in which they live harmoniously for thousands of years. As the landscape disappears, so do their associated advanced knowledge of the natural world. The Kultrun of Cañon del Blanco studies the influence of the Kultrun - a Mapuche drum - on the crystallisation of the Araucaria Araucana’s resin – a Mapuche sacred tree considered as living fossil – and explores the possibilities of preserving its ancestral rhythms in that medium. With his installation, Sébastien carries the rhythms of the drum in the resin and documents their influence on the formation of the crystals. This is being done using a technique called sensitive crystallisation that allows the formative forces of any organic material to be revealed pictorially. <img width="1920" height="1280" width_o="1920" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2e27ab062bcf9d854865e6357cdc509a215ec0482dcc2855e43cd8017ec629a8/Rite_of_Passage_KABK_2020.jpg" data-mid="150579268" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2e27ab062bcf9d854865e6357cdc509a215ec0482dcc2855e43cd8017ec629a8/Rite_of_Passage_KABK_2020.jpg" /> <img width="2004" height="3000" width_o="2004" height_o="3000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cc0ad6b7c6c9b7be22d75655e08f49452bedb398f6062f30ddf5a82ef269122f/Rite_of_Passage_KABK_2020_3_-Charlotte-Brand.jpg" data-mid="156559390" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cc0ad6b7c6c9b7be22d75655e08f49452bedb398f6062f30ddf5a82ef269122f/Rite_of_Passage_KABK_2020_3_-Charlotte-Brand.jpg" /> <img width="2004" height="3000" width_o="2004" height_o="3000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9ffe646c5cd5adc378bc0e74a86eb95378f720491980f464dcb58bfd95bb9325/Rite_of_Passage_KABK_2020_5_-Charlotte-Brand.jpg" data-mid="156559392" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9ffe646c5cd5adc378bc0e74a86eb95378f720491980f464dcb58bfd95bb9325/Rite_of_Passage_KABK_2020_5_-Charlotte-Brand.jpg" /> Rite of Passage (2020)Installation view at KABKWood, Glass and Electronics 3x190x65x65 cm© Charlotte Brand Study of crystal growth (2020)Video work, 01:42 min <img width="1920" height="1280" width_o="1920" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/66a6d5d9ff74d845d15a7bd8c0d3787e005efd6de118e336afeef56e830b95cb/Extract_notebook_2019-2020_01.jpg" data-mid="150579269" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/66a6d5d9ff74d845d15a7bd8c0d3787e005efd6de118e336afeef56e830b95cb/Extract_notebook_2019-2020_01.jpg" /> <img width="1920" height="1280" width_o="1920" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/49985eb9d5c391e6aa361dae177957452273e96b7bf04008bcceacd222461d8c/Extract_notebook_2019-2020_02.jpg" data-mid="150579270" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/49985eb9d5c391e6aa361dae177957452273e96b7bf04008bcceacd222461d8c/Extract_notebook_2019-2020_02.jpg" /> <img width="1920" height="1280" width_o="1920" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8c8adee2caff68d80fd734291a187a95615bcb1cbf65ee693f3941819bc75755/Extract_notebook_2019-2020_03.jpg" data-mid="150579271" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8c8adee2caff68d80fd734291a187a95615bcb1cbf65ee693f3941819bc75755/Extract_notebook_2019-2020_03.jpg" /> <img width="1920" height="1280" width_o="1920" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c3b2c461d23c85034d79f47a52379fece3639cc918b9532ad54c8bbdc0bb1601/Extract_notebook_2019-2020_04.jpg" data-mid="150579272" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c3b2c461d23c85034d79f47a52379fece3639cc918b9532ad54c8bbdc0bb1601/Extract_notebook_2019-2020_04.jpg" /> <img width="1920" height="1280" width_o="1920" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ced9f129231279837d02196451c8518e9ccd8e587c7be4639d81bf719767bcd3/Extract_notebook_2019-2020_05.jpg" data-mid="150579273" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ced9f129231279837d02196451c8518e9ccd8e587c7be4639d81bf719767bcd3/Extract_notebook_2019-2020_05.jpg" /> <img width="1920" height="1280" width_o="1920" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7fc6df85bc65b18980d264c9954d8a4bc1dc88e7f81bfe841070f651b43b0df1/Extract_notebook_2019-2020_06.jpg" data-mid="150579275" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7fc6df85bc65b18980d264c9954d8a4bc1dc88e7f81bfe841070f651b43b0df1/Extract_notebook_2019-2020_06.jpg" /> Extracts from notebook (2019 — 2020). From TL to BR: Early thoughts, Map of the area of research, Decoding the sensitive crystallisation, Research on graphic notations, Study of Mapuche concepts, Sketches of the installation. Credits Winner of the Royal Academy Master Award 2020 With the financial support of FIBER Festival and Instituto Francés de Chile With the technical support of Govert Coebergh (production), Mark IJzerman (software) and Zois Loumakis (hardware) Initiated during the Valley of the Possible residency program