Official Selection

United Kingdom 2023
Duration: 02:44
Directed by: Lucy Hardcastle, Maisie Cousins
Animation: Elena Charobay
Technique: 3D animation and photography - using Cinema4D and Houdini
Music: Billy Brooks
Production/School: Lucy Hardcastle Studio

Spora is a visceral exploration of hidden feminine alchemy, brought to life as a series of hypnotic moving images. Inspired by nature’s invisible and intelligent systems of continuous decay and spontaneous growth that are often overlooked, such as mycelium, mould and spores, these works aim to represent the unseen moments that are necessary for life; decomposition, transformation and renewal. The series creates a transformative moment, a chance to resonate with the bodily movement and sensations of the work. A moment of connection, as they crawl across their own skin. This self-initiated project is the first collaboration between longtime friends Lucy Hardcastle and Maisie Cousins. These award-winning female creatives’ practice intersects ideas of sensuality, tactility and human perception, through a range of visual mediums. “The combination of traditional photography and animated CGI elements has allowed us to create hyperreal hi-resolution mutations, providing a sense of unexpected enchantment.”

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