Laurin experiments with analogue film in the BioLab

For Laurin, a Moving Image student at the AKI ArtEZ Academy of Art & Design, the relationship between maker and material is central. In the BioLab, he found the space to explore that relationship and further develop his fascination with analogue film.

Working with your hands

“Working with your hands is the most direct way of expression. You feel the materials, you feel how you work with them, and also how they work with you.” In this interaction between maker and material lies, for him, the essence of art. This physical, direct connection may well be the most important aspect of artistic practice today.

From toxic process to research

His interest in analogue photography and film stems from this. Even before starting his studies, Laurin was involved in filmmaking, but he had not yet found a place where he could experiment freely.

He found that space in the BioLab. In his first year, he spent a lot of time there and began developing his first rolls of film. It was there that he quickly realized that the processes he was working with are inherently toxic. Laurin began searching for alternative ways of working. How can you engage with these materials in a more conscious and different way?

Experimenting in BioLab

Within the BioLab, he was given the opportunity to explore these questions. It is a place where experimentation is central, especially in how and why you make something. This way of working requires an open mindset. “You have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. To start over and reinvent yourself.”