girl with rose
2024
girl with rose is an exploration of the subtle yet profound interplay between erotic intimacy and somatic practice, captured through the lens of a filmmaker in search of a deeper understanding of what it means to witness and be witnessed. Emerging from a private and introspective research process, this film is one of several created to investigate the delicate dynamics of presence, vulnerability, and the role of the camera as both a voyeur and a compassionate observer.
At its core, the film blurs the lines between performer and observer, inviting the audience to experience the fluidity of the subconscious as it unfurls in a space of trust and softness. The camera, positioned with care and intention, becomes a silent witness to the raw and unguarded moments of being—moments where the body and soul are given the freedom to express, without the weight of expectation or judgment.
Inspired by somatic practices like Authentic Movement, girl with rose captures the nuanced dance between being seen and the act of seeing, exploring how the camera's gaze can either harden or soften the space between. The film delves into the intimate yet performative quality of existence before the camera, questioning the boundaries between authenticity and performance, between the seen and the unseen.
Through a series of intimate vignettes, the film reveals the empowering process of simply being seen—as one is, without adornment or pretense. It is an invitation to witness not just the vulnerability of the body, but the more elusive vulnerability of the soul, where the subconscious is allowed to stretch, play, and reveal its truths. In this delicate dance, the film aspires to uncover mutual truths, to hold space for the delicate, the fluid, and the honest, ultimately celebrating the beauty of simply being—simply as is.
Featuring: Lucia, Roxanne Noor, Luca Bricusse
being thing
2024
Being Thing is a 55-minute experimental art film that delves into the intersection of objectification, empowerment, and the blurred boundaries between human and inanimate being. The film is a documentation of four intimate film sessions that each began with a guided somatic meditation led by the filmmaker. Following the meditation, each participant was filmed for an hour as they moved through their personal home, interacting with everyday household objects. The core of the film lies in the transformative moment when each participant is invited to respond to the prompt, "Who are you?"—not from their own perspective, but from the perspective of the objects they engage with.
Through this radical inquiry, Being Thing explores the aliveness of inanimate objects and the stories, memories, and metaphors that emerge when individuals embody objecthood. The film subverts traditional sexist tropes of objectification, transforming what is often a source of disempowerment into a process of empowerment. The four female-conditioned participants reveal layers of their subconscious as they navigate the vulnerability of being witnessed, their relationships with objects becoming symbolic expressions of their own beingness.
The editing of the film is designed to mirror the psychological and existential depth of the participants' experiences. Scenes from the four sessions are interwoven, creating poetic dialogues where the monologues of each individual resonate with and support one another. This interconnectedness enhances the viewer’s understanding of the vulnerability and empowerment experienced by the participants.
Grounded in a feminist new-materialist perspective, Being Thing challenges conventional notions of objectification by highlighting the fluidity between subject and object, human and thing. The film offers a contemplative and immersive experience, inviting viewers to reflect on their own relationships with the objects that populate their lives, and to consider the potential for empowerment within vulnerability.
pillow fluffer
2024
pillow fluffer is an experimental erotic art film that explores the delicate balance of power and intimacy through the lens of soft feminist domination. Drawing inspiration from the gentle, yet commanding presence of a pillow fluffer, this film intertwines sensuality and authority in a uniquely tender narrative.
The entire visual experience is crafted with analogue techniques, creating a warm, tactile atmosphere that feels both nostalgic and deeply immersive. The film's texture and filtering evoke a dreamlike quality, inviting viewers into a world that is at once familiar and otherworldly.
Central to the film is a mesmerizing voice-over by Natasha Schoenaich, a hypnotic meditation that subtly guides and dominates. This narration weaves through the visual tapestry, offering a soothing yet compelling influence that lulls the audience into a state of gentle submission.
pillow fluffer is a celebration of the power found in softness, an ode to the art of quiet control, and a visual and auditory journey into the heart of intimate domination.
Documentation of ‘Purple Aether’ by Vicente Yáñez
2024
(Watch with headphones for Binaural sound)
Spatial composition for MONOM and 4DSOUND
The concept for this piece was at first an exploration of the 4DSOUND engine and the capabilities of the powerful MONOM speaker setup. The idea started as an assignment on how to imagine otherworldly natural soundscapes, aiming to invent an environment that transported the listener to a different reality.
The tools available within 4DSOUND are extensive and inspiring for spatial sound applications. This piece was a first attempt to delve into the functionality of the software, using MONOM’s speaker layout specially designed for its application, consisting in 48 omnidirectional speakers and 9 subwoofers. The result is a piece that uses directionality and height as narrative elements, unraveling sounds that evoke sentient life and movement, as the listener feels himself transported through a journey that culminates in a contemplative and solemn open space.
This piece was developed in the context of Vicente’s 2024 internship at MONOM.
erosion
2024
Erosion is an art project that traces the silent transformations of a valley in the Austrian Alps, where the search for a vanished glacier led to unexpected discoveries.
The project follows the hiking path through the Hollersbachtal, along a river that is connected to the glaciers high up in the back of the valley. In 2022, a piece of one of the glaciers broke off and caused a massive landslide through the valley of ice, earth and stone. After witnessing the massive shift in the landscape, concentrated mainly around the riverbed, I returned two years later to capture the sounds of erosion that still remain. These sounds are found in the various movements of water in the valley, from the river that runs through the center of the valley, to the many streams that flow into the river from the hillsides. The various movements of water, the intensity of their impact, the scale, and the quality of shaping and being shaped can be heard throughout these recordings. Each recording is incredibly unique. The journey ends high-up at a lake where all the glacial ice that once engulfed the lake has melted, and the waterfalls that flow into the lake sing echos of perpetual erosion.
Beginning as a collection of field recordings, the project captures the haunting sounds of a landscape where a glacier once stood, now replaced by a vast lake, cascading waterfalls, river and streams. These recordings were assembled into a 'sound map' and published on Radio Aporee, a global map for field recordings. The map guides listeners along the river's path, echoing the journey of those who seek the absent ice. In the final piece, these layered sounds blend with a film showing ice melting under a microscope, offering a poignant meditation on impermanence and the slow, inevitable forces of nature.
in the presence of your absence
2024
in the presence of your absence is an artistic inquiry into loss, set against the backdrop of the serene Mie Mountain region of Japan, in the ruralities of Kumano. In this landscape marked by the gradual disappearance of rural towns due to depopulation, the project emerges as a heartfelt homage to the fading tapestry of human life and the enduring harmony of the passing of time as it folds in on itself.
The project is two parts: first, a site-specific installation in an abandoned house that took place on March 15th, 2024, and second, a fifteen-minute art film that pays tribute to the installation.
At its core, the project aims to represent time as cyclical, employing a blend of sounds from the past, the present's white noise, and moments of durational silence. This temporal mosaic serves as a canvas upon which the symphony of human and more-than-human elements unfolds, both within the installation and the film.
Central to the narrative is the concept of togetherness, epitomized by the domestic sounds resonating through the abandoned structures’ paper walls. These sounds are suffused with a nostalgic simplicity. Daily life sounds such as water running, food simmering, a clock ticking – they are all so familiar and so fitting to the domestic space, and yet the abandoned nature of the home and the things left behind leaves an echo of eerie dissonance.
The soundscape itself emerges as a living entity, integrating elements such as rain, trains, rivers, and the sakura tree's siren from under the earth. These auditory fragments intertwine to reshape the space, beckoning listeners to engage with shifting temporal and spatial perspectives.
The project seeks to establish a reciprocal relationship with the space, its context, culture and those involved in the making of the work, starting from an understanding of sound as the living layer of interaction between human and non-human, material and immaterial. Embodied listening scores were created during the making of the installation to explore contemplative listening. The final work encourages deep listening by leaving space for viewers to engage with, rather than asserting any conclusions from the artistic process.
At its essence, "in the presence of your absence" is about process—an embodied listening practice that captures the essence of the abandoned spaces and the fleeting nature of human existence. By recording the disappearing voices of the elderly residents and infusing the soundscape with elements of transience, the project serves as a testament to the impermanence of life.
Drawing from philosophical insights on vibrant matter, inspired by Jane Bennett, the project challenges conventional notions of objectivity and subjectivity, inviting observers to explore the intricate relationship between humans and their environment. Through this lens, it aims to cultivate an ecological sensibility—one that transcends hierarchical distinctions and embraces the shared materiality of all things. And the shared aliveness of all materiality.
wonder women
2023
Directed by: Kėkė Søl - Starring: Kati Bird
Wonder Women, a visionary art film by Kėkė Søl, delves deep into the complex and provocative origins of the iconic character Wonder Woman. Inspired by William Moulton Marston's groundbreaking 1942 creation, and the unconventional polyamorous relationship he shared with Elizabeth Holloway and Olive Byrne, the film sheds light on the taboo influences that shaped this feminist icon.
Marston's Wonder Woman was more than a comic book hero; she was a symbol of liberation and empowerment, drawing from the trio's exploration of bondage and relationship anarchy—practices considered scandalous and condemned in their time. Despite societal ostracization and the comic facing bans and burnings throughout the 40s and 50s, Marston remained steadfast in his vision. Tragically, after his death, Wonder Woman was stripped of her kink-inspired attributes and superpowers, symbolizing the erasure of their radical ideas.
In a daring tribute, Kėkė Søl and Kati Bird revive this lost essence of Wonder Woman through a queer bondage ceremony. Filmed with a voyeuristic lens, the camera peers in through a balcony window, capturing fleeting moments reflected in an adjacent mirror. This unique film style and vignette serve as a poignant commentary on censorship and the fragmented portrayal of marginalized narratives.
Accompanied by Kėkė's original fame-punk music, Wonder Women is not just a homage but a reclamation of Wonder Woman's true roots. It challenges viewers to confront the suppressed histories and embrace the untamed spirit of one of pop culture's most enduring heroines.
This film premiered at MOLT Gallery in Berlin in August, 2023.
butter bum
2023
Butter Bum is a sensual and intimate short film capturing a raw, empowering striptease performance set in the heart of the Prey art collective's kitchen. The film showcases the journey of a woman who has long struggled with body image issues, stepping into a space of vulnerability and self-expression.
Encouraged by the filmmaker and the supportive members of the collective, she embraces her body in its entirety, imperfections and all, through a spontaneous, sexy striptease. The performance, set to a sultry soundtrack, is a celebration of self-love, liberation, and the reclaiming of her own sensuality.
As the performance unfolds, the camera captures her transformation from hesitant to fiercely confident, embodying her beauty in a way she never imagined. The collective's warm cheers and heartfelt embraces that follow are a testament to the deep connection and support within this sex-positive space.
Watching the footage afterward, she was overcome with emotion, witnessing herself as the fierce and beautiful woman she truly is. Butter Bum is more than just a striptease—it's a powerful exploration of vulnerability, self-acceptance, and the liberating journey towards loving oneself fully.
Featuring: Silke Bleicher
Song: With Me by dvsn
how to make a fucking cake
2023
How to Make a Fucking Cake is a bold, short experimental film that serves as a provocative feminist statement, challenging conventional notions of domesticity, sensuality, and rebellion. This film subverts traditional expectations and explores the interplay between rigid societal norms and the uninhibited pleasure of breaking them.
The film juxtaposes two contrasting visual narratives. The main footage features two AFAB performers engaging in a sensuous and playful interaction with tableware, cherries, and cake. Their movements are fluid and intimate, transforming ordinary kitchen items into instruments of erotic expression. This sequence celebrates the joy of indulgence and the liberation found in playful rebellion.
Interrupting this sensual tableau is a small square in the center of the screen, displaying a 1950s instructional video on how to bake a cake. This vintage footage, emblematic of an era that idealized the subservient, well-behaved housewife, serves as a stark counterpoint to the erotic playfulness surrounding it. The instructional video is an ironic nod to the past, a reminder of the rigid, prescribed roles that women were once expected to follow.
The soundtrack of How to Make a Fucking Cake is a custom mashup that amplifies the film’s themes of rebellion and pleasure. Billie Eilish's Lunch blends seamlessly with Dottie O'Brien's rendition of Four or Five Times, a song that was banned from US radio stations in 1951 for its provocative nature. The juxtaposition of these tracks underscores the film's defiance of censorship and societal norms, highlighting the timeless struggle for autonomy and the right to sensual enjoyment.
sado
2023
Directed by: Kėkė Søl - Ceremony by: Natasha Schoenaich and Andy Buru - Featuring: Silke Bleicher
Sado is an evocative art film by Kėkė Søl that captures the intricacies of a sadistic tea ceremony, blending ritualistic precision with the raw intensity of sadomasochistic play. Featuring the ceremonial artistry of Natasha Schoenaich and Andy Buru, and starring Silke Bleicher, this film delves into the intersection of pain, pleasure, and the meditative grace of tea preparation.
The ceremony unfolds with the deliberate pouring of water and the soaking of leaves. Bowls are handed to awaiting guests, each movement imbued with symbolic significance. The rotation of each bowl marks a rite of passage, a cycle repeated endlessly. This ritual requires a unique bravery and dedication, yet it remains a form of improvisation, asking what spaces are created in such a delicate practice.
Images linger on a trembling tea bowl balanced on outstretched arms, the slow undressing of a collarbone, and a drip of drool descending upon the tongue of another. The participants’ skin bears the marks of discipline, their faces adorned with painted falsities, capturing the tension between appearance and reality.
Sado explores a repetitive sadomasochistic experience within a sea of silence and noise. Through Søl's lens, the film becomes a study of contrasts: the serene and the brutal, the controlled and the chaotic, inviting viewers to meditate on the nature of service, submission, and the beauty found within disciplined rituals.
the unveiling
2023
The Unveiling film and performance, by Rosalind Holgate-Smith. Videography by Kėkė Søl and Taiga Trigo.
The Unveiling is a slow ritual undressing, an unveiling of clothes and layers beneath which we exist. In this ritual, we dive into the affects of touch, exploring the skin as continuous, through the orifices, and into the digestive tract. In guiding this immersive movement meditation, Rosalind uses touch techniques that she has been exploring over the past few years, including a technique of maintaining slow, continuous pressure with all surfaces, beginning with the ground, the fabric of our clothes, and our own skin.
This film premiered at MOLT Gallery in Berlin in August, 2023.
castle in the sky
2023
Castle in the Sky is a mesmerizing installment in Kėkė Søl's series of AI-generated films, which serve as an exploration into the creative potential of machine learning. This film exemplifies Søl's innovative process, where the detailed compositions and creative journey behind her album "Formless" are abstracted into poetry by AI. This poetry is then used as the blueprint to render visually stunning films.
In Castle in the Sky, the recursive cycle of inspiration continues, as each film produced feeds back into the AI, prompting it to generate further poetic abstractions. These new poems, in turn, inspire additional films, creating an ever-evolving artistic dialogue between human creativity and machine interpretation.
The result is a breathtaking tapestry of imagery and verse, where each iteration pushes the boundaries of AI's artistic capabilities. "Castle in the Sky" stands as a testament to the symbiotic relationship between human ingenuity and artificial intelligence, inviting viewers to ponder the future of creativity in an increasingly digital world. This film is not merely a showcase of technological prowess, but a poetic journey that blurs the lines between creator and creation, offering a glimpse into the infinite possibilities of collaborative innovation.
This series premiered at MOLT Gallery in Berlin in August, 2023.
oxygen
2023
What are the sounds of suffocation?
Deteriorating oxygen levels in the ocean are leading to the death of ocean life. My aspiration is to create a film that might foster an empathetic bridge by creating acute awareness of our human condition and it’s intimate and very existential relationship to breath (oxygen) and water.
I conducted an experiment with long-time collaborator Francisco Borges to perform an extended breath-hold in freezing cold water. The intention with lowering the water temperature to a level of extraordinary discomfort was to create awareness of the fragile human condition and enable a process of surrender to the perceivably hostile element.
The sound is a compilation of live analog improv sets using various synths, acoustic guitar, voice, and intentional silence.
Featuring: Francesco Borges