4K video, 7 min, b&w, sound,
German with English subtitles
extended version with glass works see here
The Song of Polysiren examines polystyrene waste, focusing on its visual, tactile, and acoustic properties. In the video, we see children from a bird's eye view against a black background, seemingly studying the sound and shape of pieces of Styrofoam by touching, tapping, drumming, and rubbing them. In other scenes, the children are seen playing without any intention—making music or spinning in slow motion. The video is accompanied by a child's voice, which, in textbook fashion, explains plastic, its production, chemical composition, and origins, and speculates about an uncertain future of living with plastic. The title and narrative are inspired by Alain Resnais's 1959 documentary Le Chant du Styrène, made for the French industrial group Péchiney to highlight the virtues of plastic. The promising tone of the original contrasts with our current plastic and climate crises. The children's play with the Styrofoam and their voices create an eerie tension and a sense of serene seriousness. Divided into chapters, each titled with the letter of the C scale, the video explores the idea of a song that references both the title and the beguiling song of the sirens—squeaking sounds of Styrofoam.
The video is the second part of a project that began in connection with a site-specific exhibition on Jeju. Styrofoam was collected along the island's coast and subsequently transformed into glass objects that mimic the surface texture and color of coastal rocks, while their forms are based on the found Styrofoam pieces. The two works can be exhibited together or separately.
The video is the second part of a project that began in connection with a site-specific exhibition on Jeju. Styrofoam was collected along the island's coast and subsequently transformed into glass objects that mimic the surface texture and color of coastal rocks, while their forms are based on the found Styrofoam pieces. The two works can be exhibited together or separately.
The video was created in collaboration with the kindergarten of the German School Seoul.
Project assistance and structuring: Malte Min, Sandra Tjan
Sound: Kat Austen, Sascha Pohle
Editing and concept: Sascha Pohle
Sound: Kat Austen, Sascha Pohle
Editing and concept: Sascha Pohle
