Bij het zebrapad kijk ik niet alleen naar het verkeer, maar ook naar de lucht erboven, alsof daar een onzichtbare, gelei achtige laag zou kunnen hangen die elke stap vertraagt tot een gevaarlijke traagheid. In mijn verbeelding duw ik mij door stroperige ruimte terwijl auto’s hun tempo behouden en de overkant verder weg lijkt te drijven. Maar niets daarvan gebeurt. De lucht blijft leeg, mijn voeten raken het asfalt zonder weerstand, en binnen enkele seconden bereik ik de stoep aan de andere kant. De doorgang is precies dat: een doorgang, vrij van verborgen barrières.
Pilaar.
Een pilaar heeft iets discreet geruststellends. Het staat er stil en onverstoorbaar, zonder oordeel en zonder verwachting. Juist daarom is het zo’n ideale bondgenoot voor wie even behoefte heeft aan eigen ruimte. Achter een pilaar staan is een subtiele manier om je aanwezigheid te temperen zonder te verdwijnen. Je bent nog steeds onderdeel van de omgeving, maar met een zachte grens die anderen intuïtief respecteren. Het is verrassend hoe iets eenvoudigs zo krachtig kan zijn.
Two Cups.
When two cups of coffee are mixed together, the result simply appears to be more coffee. Yet, with a little mathematical imagination, this can be described as the creation of a single cup of tea. This sounds absurd, but it's precisely the kind of absurdity mathematics excels at: something is formally correct, even if it doesn't seem to make sense.
Lasagna.
A lasagna of difficult thoughts, seasoned with a touch of fantasy and a hint of hallucination, is not a meal for the faint of heart. It's a mental meal, slowly cooked in the oven of introspection and served on the tableware of consciousness. Preparing it doesn't require culinary skills, but rather a willingness to face yourself, layer by layer. We begin with the base: a solid layer of repressed memories. These are often tough, sometimes bitter, but essential to giving structure to the whole. They are like dried lasagna sheets: stiff, shapeless, and only accessible after simmering. Cut them into equal pieces of lost time, unspoken words, and suppressed anger. Arrange these evenly across the bottom of your mind. On top of that, a sauce of hard-to-digest thoughts will appear. This sauce doesn't just happen—you have to let it simmer over low heat. Start with a little doubt, slowly add self-criticism, and let the whole thing steep with uncertainty, until it becomes a thick, dark mass. Then stir in guilt, followed by a tablespoon of melancholy. Be careful not to let it burn, or it will develop a bitter aftertaste of self-loathing.
Nightstand.
Epic Poem: The Charger of the Night Song I – The Forgetting Along the dusty edges of nightstand and bed, lies a cable, once white, now gray and greasy. The Charger, sworn to service and to power, was once a hero of the digital dream. He brought light to screen, life to tweet, and helped you with TikToks, though they were little more than brain fog pixelated—yet he gave you power, his sparks, his boats. Song II – `The Decline But times slackened. A new one came quickly, a MagSafe, a USB-C—so bright. And you, ungrateful son of convenience, shoved him aside in a drawer with some paste. His head is bent now, his plug is worn, and he dreams of the days when apps were still called him. But alas, you forget, as people always do—until night comes, and your screen goes kissless, empty, black as your soul on Monday.
Ice hole.
In the development of simulation environments, programmers often look for ways to model natural phenomena in a realistic and interactive manner. For this project we focus on creating a realistic and interactive model of a hole in the ice, called "IceHoleX". The challenge lies in simulating the visual and physical behavior of ice and water in a dynamic environment. “IceHoleX” was developed in a fictional programming language, FrostLang, specifically designed for simulating cold climates and ice-related phenomena. FrostLang uses direct manipulation of elements such as temperature, density and humidity to create realistic scenarios.
Animated.
In the recent rise of technological innovations, one particular trend is under discussion: animated tattoos. A manifesto against this futuristic form of body art has attracted attention for its pointed criticism of both the ethical and practical implications of this technology. However, closer inspection of the manifesto and the points raised raises the question of whether the objections are fully justified, and whether we may be ignoring the charm and potentially positive aspects of animated tattoos. The manifesto mainly emphasizes health risks, privacy concerns, socio-cultural impact, accessibility and inequality, ethical issues, environmental impact, and the need for regulation. These points are certainly not without merit, especially considering the potentially invasive nature of implanting technology under the skin. Concerns about health risks and possible negative environmental effects are valid and deserve attention.
