Experience with Groeispurt: Maria Dabrowski - SYNC

Photographer Maria Dabrowski, with a contribution from Groeispurt , developed the multimedia installation SYNC about consuming, processing and slowing down. In addition to the video installation (2022), she also published a photo book in collaboration with design studio Studio Another Day. Recently, the book won bronze at Prix de la Photographie Paris and was nominated for the Dutch Creativity Awards in the editorial category. In addition, great book reviews have appeared in Discarded Magazine, among others, and an interview about SYNC appeared in PF Magazine. Maria takes us through the creation of the project and what it has done for her (artistic) development.

Reflection

The premise of the project, of which both the book and the multimedia installation are a part, is to take more time for ourselves and be more "still" before we can move forward. Do we really get to our feelings anymore, and is there still time for that? Our heads are constantly on in these times, and it is precisely what we are unconsciously processing in our heads that Maria wants to make 'visible' and bring attention to.

"The photo series SYNC arose from a personal need to take a step back within our demanding society. Privately, I found myself in a difficult period in recent years and photographing everyday details and nature helped me to better reflect and come to my feelings."

Among other things, the photographs reflect a process of searching for peace. Several details were incorporated into the design of the book; for example, the photos are hidden in fold-out pages. Because you have to unfold each page, you automatically have to slow down. This was chosen to remind us of the importance of our own rhythm, while at the same time it reinforces the intimacy of the images. The 'unpacking' is also a reverberation to the (addictive) consumption of our time.

The video installation of the project points to the fleetingness of our attention span in a growing digital world and to the added value of the conversions into data of so many facets of our human behavior. Don't our brains have too much to process? Is our so-called 'bandwidth' becoming too full? What effect does the "acceleration" in the digital world have on our psyche?

During an EEG experiment, a test subject viewed images from the picture book and, by means of electrodes on the head, brain activity was measured. The raw data of this viewing process were converted into image and sound, so that as a visitor you can be immersed in the unconscious process of image consumption. This work is not an attempt at an answer or solution to these questions, but rather aims to excite the viewer. The project comments on the rapid idea of contemporary perception and experience of time.

Take your time

Crowdfunding for the project went through Voordekunst. Because this was successful, further work on the elaboration of the photo book and the exhibition was possible.

"Because I had to deal with many collaborations, it was sometimes puzzling to keep everything on track. Sometimes, of course, it is difficult to account in advance for a possible run-out. For example, we experienced delays here and there because of technical details that were not to our liking, which meant we had to search longer for the right result."

Among other things, because of this delay, the pre-planned book launch (with exhibition) could not be realized and a new venue had to be found. In addition, the original budget was not correct, prices rose in the meantime, making the book production more expensive.

More experiment

"I gained a lot of experience with new collaborations, including working with a lithographer and a video production team. I was also able to experiment with different materials for my exhibition, think about building a video installation (for the first time) and printing photographic portraits on transparent canvases."

Through publisher Lecturis, the book is available at various stores and will be shown at well-known (inter)national photography/art fairs. For example, SYNC was recently shown at the Unseen Amsterdam photobook fair and will be featured at the Polycopies photobook fair during Paris Photo in November. Discussions are currently underway with a space abroad to bring the project to attention again with an expo. Of course I am grateful for the award of the Groeispurt, but also the cooperation with Expo Podium - Cultuurhuis De Lindenberg and the Stadhuis in Nijmegen has gone completely according to plan.