The other night, I took a picture of a cat on a wall. Due to the flash from my phone and the angle, the cat’s eye is beaming yellow light. I edited the eye to be more saturated, and added red and green circles to create a sort of traffic light. I’m currently teaching in a small town in France, and it’s like my life has been following a yellow light since I arrived. The way of life is calm but time marches on, albeit slowly. The title of the piece is French for “Slow down!!!” - named after the very emphatic signs in my town’s school zones that warn drivers.
- @v3nic3th3m3nac3

Ralentissez !!!
Photograph and Photoshop
Saumur, France
03/20/24

When I received the prompt I blanked out totally and it was impossible for me to think of anything else than traffic lights. As I don’t find traffic lights particularly captivating I started delving deeper into the associations of red light / green light - inhibition / disinhibition, prohibition / permission etc. and how I’m sort of setting similar patterns for myself in my life - what I am allowed and not allowed to do.

I wanted to make music for this year’s March Ensemble and the sort of music I’ve always wanted to make is orchestral music, but for several reasons I have never felt like I’m allowed to. So this piece of music for a chamber orchestra is me finally allowing myself to write without being good enough or ready.

Oh and the video is a crossing right in front of my flat here in Kreuzberg with some actual traffic lights which are absolutely insane - how can someone make it across in that time??
- @joonasamueli

Inhibition
Video & music
Berlin, Germany
03/20/24