Simon Speiser: ‘Naufragio Liberador’
Simon Speiser, Naufragio Liberador, 2024. Single-channel video, stereo sound, colour, 15 min 14 sec. All rights reserved by the artist
About the Work
Looking at the history of the maroon society of Esmeraldas, Ecuador, through the lens of string theory, Speiser superimposes conceptions of black holes with the occurrences of shipwrecks on the coast of Esmeraldas. These shipwrecks enabled the freedom of Afro-Ecuadorian communities as early as 1533, when they established maroon settlements, which became a haven for many others. The film blends together interviews about speculative physics, string and quantum theories, colonial history, footage of rituals and lush digitally rendered lush landscapes.
About the Artist
Simon Speiser (b.1988; based in Regensburg, Germany) is a German-Ecuadorian artist known for his interdisciplinary approach that merges nature and technology through various media, including writing, sculpture, virtual reality, installations and printmaking. His works explore themes of origins and the interplay between human and technological worlds. Blending virtual reality and ancestral folklore, weaving science fiction with non-Western conceptions of technology, and believing in storytelling as a tool in the fight against dystopian thinking, Speiser creates immersive, sensory experiences that highlight the convergence of traditional knowledge and contemporary digital techniques, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of precolonial cultures. Recent exhibitions include Tai Kwun, Hong Kong (2023); Walter Phillips Gallery Banff, Alberta (2023); Tate Modern, London (2022); Julia Stoschek Foundation, Berlin (2022); among others.
About EMAP x FRIEZE FILM SEOUL
For the third year in a row, Frieze Film returns to Frieze Seoul 2024. This year’s programme is presented in partnership with Ewha Media Art Presentation (EMAP) and is on view from 2 – 6 September at Ewha Womans University and online at frieze.com.
Curated by Joowon Park and Valentine Umansky, this year’s programme is titled ‘All that Weaves the Universe: Of Quantum Entanglements’. It brings together time-based media works of 37 international artists, unfolding under eight chapters.
