Dark Light


The Non-Fiction Animation & Memory Symposium occurred on December 8, 2023, at the LUCA School of Arts in Brussels, focusing on the relationship between animation and memory. Dr. Maarten van Gageldonk, a scholar in Animation Studies, presented a lecture titled “I Keep Trying to Find Something Good in These Memories,” examining the representation of memory in autobiographical animated short films. Dr. Lea Vidaković, an artist specialising in animated installations and traditional puppet animation, and Dr. Natalie Woolf, an artistic researcher in expanded drawing and animation, also delivered lectures.

The symposium included a reflection on “Expanded Memories,” a FilmEU_RIT project exploring hybrid analogue-digital animation. The event featured a short Q&A session, allowing participants to engage with the speakers. Additionally, an exhibition showcased works from the FilmEU_RIT project on the LUCA campus, highlighting collaborative efforts from contributors of diverse backgrounds.

The 3D-printed Anamorphotrope, along with other pieces from the Expanded Memories team, was showcased in the exhibition. Since the latest test did not incorporate a flickering LED light, installing one for the Expo was necessary to ensure the animation was visible to the naked eye. The LED light, controlled by an Arduino device, was crucial in achieving the correct shutter speed (30 Hz at 45 rpm) required for the animation.

The exhibition was spread over several locations across the LUCA Brussels campus. All installations that required low light conditions were grouped in one place. Like at the Antwerp Expo in April, the displayed pieces complemented each other.