NOCTILUCYL / NOCTILUCI

PITCH Inevitably, the ocean is rising: the coastline is advancing towards the land, seawater is flowing up the river. Who will be the first inhabitants of this new frontier? How will we care for it? This show seeks to interpret the issue of climate change's impact on the coastline in two separate video mappings on two water towers: one on the coast at Le Crotoy, and the other inland at Yvrencheux. A common problem translated into two different sensibilities in a dreamlike form. CONTEXT This video mapping was inspired by the participative workshop held during the first local debate (brainstorming concerns, ideas, priorities) and by Carl Cordonnier's photography. It was projected on two different water towers: one in Yvrencheux and one in Le Crotoy. ARTISTIC DIRECTION (by Ludovic Burczykowski) A Portrait of the Coastline Through Noctilucae- Noctilucae are small bioluminescent organisms that live in temperate, subtropical, and tropical waters between low tide and the edge of the continental shelf. They are also found near river mouths after heavy rainfall and especially during warm seasons. LUCA is also the acronym for Last Unique Common Ancestor, the ancestor of all living beings on Earth today. But noctilucae represent something more: they are these distant beings that we must bring to the forefront to honor the interdependence of species. Animated Line- The coastline comes to life through its inhabitants. The aim is to pay attention to life at its smallest scale, beginning by interpreting the coastline as a drawn line, which becomes an animated portrait of this line and its inhabitants—much like a close-up view of the development of life seen from within the line itself. The whole is punctuated by a micro-montage equivalent to a composition of animated organic forms—like a continuous wave of images meant to signify interconnection. We are facing rising sea levels as well as rising temperatures, increasing acidity and plastic in the oceans, and, above all, the erosion of biodiversity. Will we have to float, pump, live underwater, or dig into the seabed to feel as though we’re lowering the sea level? Should we be alarmist, dream of alternatives, or simply recall the beauty of what may not be preserved—in the hope that life extends beyond quantification? Perhaps microorganisms will help us. Ethics Through the “Face”- It is not a matter of self-reflection on an image but a matter of responding to the call of the Other, to which we can only answer “present” in order to confront the impact of climate change—particularly on the coastline—with new imaginations, new awareness, and new responsibilities, moving toward individual and collective actions built on interdependence, and thus with a focus on these fragile and fundamental forms. Credits: Direction and animation — Ludovic Burczykowski; Original music — Erick Bejarano; Thanks to: Carl Cordonnier (Dailylife). Produced during a creation residency organised by Rencontres Audiovisuelles / Video Mapping European Center as part of the Video Mapping Festival #8 and the Co-Vision project – Creative Europe programme.