Above&Below's residency project at iMAL will lead to an immersive experience and speculative future scenario which explores Brussels ecosystem in regards to the present and future coexistence between humans and non-human species. The project looks into bioacoustics and interspecies communication and aims to translate communication signals and environmental real-time data into an AV artwork.

The artistic research is interested in analysing different communication technologies, used by humans and non-humans. Brussels isn’t the only large city where wild animals are venturing – however if people take a step back, animals will take a healthy step forward - how can we give more space for non-human cohabitants using technologies as meditative translators?

Studio Above&Below is a London-based art, design and technology studio founded by Daria Jelonek (GER) and Perry-James Sugden (UK) after graduating from the Royal College of Art. Their work combines digital art, data and XR in order to draw together unseen connections between humans, machines and the environment.

Believing in research-based projects, Studio Above&Below often works with scientists, technologists, brands and communities to push the boundaries of digital media for future living. Over the last years the duo has created groundbreaking and innovative artworks using immersive technologies and data in order to make the invisible visible and to give our environment a voice to express itself.

Their work has been shown internationally at institutions and festivals including the Royal Academy, Tate Modern, V&A London, Nottingham Contemporary, Photophore during the Venice Biennale, HeK Basel, MEET Milan, NRW Forum, UCCA Shanghai, Today Art Museum, WRO Biennale, WIRED Japan, and Sonar+D. Previous prizes and fundings Lumen Prize (shortlisted), Bloomberg Bursary, the Battersea Sculpture Prize, Factory Berlin x Sonar+D Artist in Residency and the S+T+Arts x Nesta Italia City of the Future prize. Their work has been published in magazines including the New York Times, MAXON, Arte and It’s Nice That.

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With the support of Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, through the European Media Art Platform.