The Over and Under

The Over and Under | video work | 11 min | Art Rotterdam | Prospects and Concepts | Rotterdam | 2025

In this work, recognizable props evoke an alienating effect, sometimes simply because they are represented on a larger scale. The story consists of two parts, with a main character who seems to have gotten lost in a dune-like area and is handed a mysterious map to find their way back. The scene appears playful, but as the story progresses and the way out seems to have gotten closer, the fear arises that the main character is actually trapped in a loop. This sinking, claustrophobic feeling is further emphasized by the abandoned landscape, which gives the impression that this story is an continuous, endless dream one cannot wake up from.

A vicious circle, symbolically redirecting itself into a hole dug by the main character where they encounter their own reflection. It serves as an inadvertent reminder of the inescapable cycle of entrapment. It raises an inevitable question: Can you escape yourself?

Credits:

Direction, script, montage and props: Monika Nowak. Cinematography and colour correction: Rollo van Wijk. Featuring: Bjørk Semey. Sound: Jasper Schonewille & Bjørk Semey. Photography: Anna Lenartowska.

Assistants: Wojciech Stachura, Robin Valster, Stan Molenaar and Zahra Mosheni.

Text: Esther Darley