original animation and video art by: Simon Cools Fierlafijn, Annelies Jacobs, Noortje Lenaerts, Rik Maes, Aaron Muller, Sofie Vermeir
Art Day for Children is the ultimate cultural celebration for families — and this year’s theme, “Make room for art”, is something the Brussels Philharmonic takes quite literally! We’ve chosen a vibrant, imaginative work by Claude Debussy, and invited six young animators and video artists to bring their own creative vision to life. The result? A playful kaleidoscope of styles, stories and interpretations, all projected on a big screen during the concert — with Debussy’s magical music as the soundtrack.
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What I love most is creating worlds and characters that are hard to define. To spark ideas, I often use a kind of stream of consciousness. When I close my eyes and let my imagination run free, I almost always picture moving characters: walking, flying, roller-skating, driving a car… as long as there’s motion.
This project
The piece I visualised is Par les rues et par les chemins. Debussy was inspired by his impressions of southern Spain, but I happened to be on a ski trip – and I found the snowy mountain landscape and the elegance of certain skiers endlessly inspiring. So, for Debussy, my animation begins with a skier.
Anecdote
I had planned a trip to Málaga to find inspiration, but it got cancelled. That’s when I thought of one of the Debussy quotes we were given at the start of the project: “When one cannot afford to travel, imagination must take its place.” And I thought, “It doesn’t get more perfect than that.”
Aaron recently completed his Master’s in animated film at LUCA School of Arts in Brussels.