Tips from IFFR ambassador Kristel Anna Frich

During International Film Festival Rotterdam the Art Directions City Walk brings together a range of groundbreaking works that push boundaries between art, technology, and the human experience. The walk features installations and live performances that explore the complexities of our modern world and how we navigate trauma, technology, and identity in an increasingly digital society.

Across diverse mediums, these artists explore the deep impact of living in a more vulnerable world while also attempting to find a sense of hope and celebration. Want some Art Directions tips on what to visit during your IFFR ? See here: 

Happy New Year by Jinjoon Lee 

One standout work askes the question, What does Happy New Year really mean? Through a powerful combination of news imagery, press clippings, AI-generated visuals, and mixed media, this piece confronts the tension between tradition and contemporary disaster. It highlights how, despite the history of traumatic events, the world still holds on to rituals like New Year’s celebrations as a way to move forward. The use of AI and brainwave data created a surreal but relevant space to question the resilience of these traditions in the face of global crises. This piece was not just about the past or the present; it was about confronting the way our minds process images of trauma and joy in the digital age.

Safe.Self.Sense. live performance by David Verbeek and Yu He Lin

The overarching theme of fear and vulnerability was explored in an immersive 3-screen installation, where different psychologies—safe, sense, and self—are reflected through varied digital worlds. Here, the audience is forced to confront their own fears, especially in the wake of a global pandemic that has altered how we experience the world. Through virtual and visual contexts, this work delved into how we are, perhaps for the first time, forced to confront our demons in a highly contemporary, digital landscape.

The Intersection of Media, Culture, and Technology at Katoenhuis.

The Katoenhuis Area M4H is a space dedicated to immersive media, cultural programming, and technology. This area showcases how contemporary makers—filmmakers, artists, and technologists—can come together to create more immersive and holistic experiences, blurring the lines between reality and virtuality. It underscores the importance of collaboration between different creative disciplines to bring about new forms of expression and understanding in a fragmented world.

Alice, Bob, Carol and David by Viktor Timofeev

One particularly striking piece is the Alice, Bob, Carol and David, which incorporates patterns from real-life movement and performance into digital simulations. These movements, projected onto screens, are coupled with soundscapes drawn from the artist’s personal connections—voices of their father, friends, and collaborators. This work explores how patterns and voices can transcend the digital space, creating a multi-layered, immersive experience that redefines what digital art can be.

La Quema (del Planeta “B”) by Francisco Baquerizo

This work of an Ecuadorian artist is another powerful installation, addressing the intersection of migration, colonial history, and identity. This project, centered around a 400-year-old VOC ship, raises questions about the ongoing effects of colonialism in today’s world. The artist uses this installation to explore the ways in which hierarchical structures still shape our societies, especially in relation to power, spirituality, and migration.

Brown Bodies in an Open Landscape Are Often Migrating by Basir Mahmood

One of the more poignant pieces, Brown Bodies, was specifically created for a church setting. This installation highlightes the voices of immigrants, particularly Pakistanis, who filmed their own migration journeys to provide a raw and personal perspective of their experiences—counteracting the mainstream Western portrayal of migration. The piece is a profound reminder of the human cost of migration and the resilience of those who risk everything to survive.

Otherworlds by Sophia Bulgakova 

An immersive, participatory performance that merges the virtual and the physical, inviting audiences on a deeply sensory journey. Rooted in Ukrainian traditions and pagan rituals, the work explores the ways in which ancient heritage can be reimagined through cutting-edge XR technology. By blending folklore with extended reality, Bulgakova creates a space where participants can reconnect with nature, history, and the passing of time in an entirely new way.

Extramission: The Capture of Glowing Eyes by Jessica Sarah Rinland

Lastly, Extramission: The Capture of Glowing Eyes is an evocative installation that explores the profound connection between light, vision, and life. Through the concept of glowing eyes as a symbol of life’s energy, this piece invites reflection on the fragility of existence and the beauty of human perception, emphasizing that the essence of life is captured in our gaze.

Photography by: Sanne Margret / Arthood Collective 
Written by: Kristel Anna Frich / Arthood Collective