Ambientes Hostiles

Txuspo Poyo
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As the title very well suggests, in this 3D video Txuspo Poyo recreates a hostile place very similar to those simulated by many video games. The piece is constructed around various references to cinema and to animation, evident in the shots as well as in the use of different elements such as the zooming and tracking shots, which give the video a finished look very close to that of science-fiction comics and animation, a film industry towards which Poyo directs a few humourous winks, when, for example, at the beginning of the video, he includes a logo which reads 21st Century Bilbao.

The artist creates a completely alienating space  where known references are scarce, even though the resulting spatial construction is reminiscent of the spaces of science-fiction films. The characters populating this place are just nails and hammers, which, marching as if they were an army, become strong symbols recalling the industrial age. The feeling of a closed space, of a reality constrained and unchangeable, is emphasised by the rhythms coming from the txalaparta (a Basque musical instrument) which make up the soundtrack, and to which other sound fragments are added. The latter evoke violent scenes which the spectator can’t locate in the image but which nevertheless sound somewhat familiar. In this video, both image and sound, by steering clear of narrative patterns, manage to create an abstract scenario that ends up being rather suffocating and implacable.

Technical datasheet

  • Title: Ambientes Hostiles
  • Direction: Txuspo Poyo
  • Production: Fundación Marcelino Botín. Lugar:Bilbao. 2004.
  • Duration: 00:07:23
  • Languages: English
  • Formats: Betacam Digital - DVD
  • TV systems: PAL
  • License: Copyright