Yugen by Martha Fiennes explored the boundaries of a radical new media where art, digital technologies, and film practice fuse together to form new possibilities of creative expression.

The artist was in conversation with Oscar nominated writer director Shekhar Kapur on March 13th, 12-1pm at Art Dubai Talks Space.

She brought to the project substantial experience of filmmaking, visual effects and digital media technology, resulting in a pioneering ‘hybrid’ media with an almost fine art sensibility. The hybrid media utilised generative computer coding technologies to enable a continuous, non-predictable, self-selective visual display. The experience was further amplified by a hypnotic music and sound score written exclusively for the work by composer Magnus Fiennes.

Fiennes described her works as ‘visual evocations’. They evolve and mutate slowly while the work itself makes all decisions as to ‘what happens next’. The ‘narrative control’ is therefore relinquished to the computer engine which powers the work. There is no ‘looping’ or repeat play as in traditional film and video, neither are there any hard ‘cuts’ or edits. Each viewing encounter is spontaneous and unique and offers a highly meditative experience – we might even say the work is ‘alive’.

Fiennes’ inaugural work utilising this media, Nativity (2011), has been showcased at the V&A; the National Gallery, London; Sotheby’s London and Paris; the Venice Biennale 2017, and The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Yugen was produced by SLOimage, Peter Muggleston and Tendercapital.