The Song of Polysiren explores polystyrene waste through material, visual, tactile, and acoustic investigation. Black glass objects are shaped after Styrofoam pieces found on the coast of Jeju and casted black rocks nearby. Resting on light-boxes remodeled with discarded Styrofoam buoys, they evoke fossils or precious stones, playing with inversion, hybridity, and the translation of material and color. The title “Polysiren” references both polystyrene—the polymer foamed into Styrofoam—and mythical sirens, part-human, part-bird-or-fish creatures. The work draws inspiration from Alain Resnais’ 1959 documentary Le Chant du Styrène, commissioned by Pechiney to celebrate plastics, contrasting that optimistic tone with today’s plastic and climate crises.
The video extends the glass work, documenting children interacting with Styrofoam pieces. Filmed from a bird’s-eye view against a black background, they tap, drum, rub, and spin the material, exploring its sound and shape in playful, often accidental ways. A childlike AI voice explains plastic’s production, chemical composition, origins, and speculates on its uncertain future. Divided into chapters named after C-scale notes, the video evokes a siren song through Styrofoam’s squeaks and the children’s interactions.
Created with Seoul German School kindergarten. Project assistance/structuring: Malte Min, Sandra Tjan. Sound: Kat Austen, Sascha Pohle. Editing/concept: Sascha Pohle.
