ARS ELECTRONICA ARCHIVE - PRIX

The Prix Ars Electronica Showcase is a collection where all the artist submissions for the Prix since 1987 can be searched and viewed. The winning projects are documented with extensive information and audio-visual media. ALL other submissions are displayed with a basic metadata in list form.

Computer Animation Anerkennung - Honorary Mention 2022

Ad Hominem

Alex Verhaest

Change is an old revolutionary, returning to its hometown looking for recognition for all it has done. Upon its arrival, it becomes clear that an event is organized in its honor. Change talks to four people, who guide it towards the event, but seem to hold different views on what Change should bring in the future. Change has to choose its answer to their questions and is judged for all responses. In the end, it becomes clear that Change is never really welcome.

Ad Hominem is an interactive philosophical choose-your-own-adventure film, based on Sofie Verhaest’s brilliant doctoral thesis Eutopia Unbound, in which the player is cast in the role of Change. The player is invited to pick an answer to questions proposed by four different characters representing four distinct utopic ideas. Through a maze of historical quotes on collectivism, individualism, progressive thinking and conservatism, the player is guided towards an event, organized in honor of Change's arrival.

Links: https://vimeo.com/681538774

Credits

Written & directed: Alex Verhaest
Produced: Melissa Dhondt

In the role of:
Progressive collectivist: Hélène Devos
Progressive individualist: Aurélie Lannoy
Conservative individualist: Marijke Pinoy
Conservative collectivist: Anemone Valcke

Director of photography: Korneel Moeyaert
Gaffer: Korneel Moeyaert
Production manager: Julie Piessens
Production assistant: Zara Van Den Bergh
Focus puller: Pieter-Jan Neirynck
Costume design: Gudrun Wylleman
Make-up artist: Dorien Van Poucke
Sound engineer: Gedeon Depauw
Set dresser: Evi Cremers

Music: Théo Pogoza
Sound design & mix: Théo Pogoza
Scoring of theme song: Maxime Denuc
Singer: Lieselot De Wilde
Recording & theme song mix: Ångstrom records

VFX by Skerm West
VFX supervisor: Stijn Calis
VFX artists: Florian D'heer, Oussama Mahieddine & Franceska-Victoria Indeherberge

Production manager: Julie Piessens
Production assistant: Zara Van Den Berg
Head software development: Karyme Hisham
Bèta development: Benoit Jollivet

Ad Hominem was made with the support of: Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF); Kunsten en Erfgoed – Flemish Government; Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles; Stad Roeselare; Cultuurcentrum De Spil; Barakat Contemporary, Seoul; in Hinterland

Alex Verhaest (BE) studied at Luca School of arts, where she is currently teaching. Her work has been exhibited at numerous institutions (ZKM Karlsruhe, HKW Berlin, Bozar). She won the New Face Award at the Japan Media Arts Festival and her work has been awarded with the prestigious 2015 Ars Electronica Golden Nica. In 2019 she graduated valedictorian from Le Fresnoy, studio national des arts contemporains. Verhaest’s work is focused on story and influenced by Expanded Cinema and a youth of video games. With each new film, Verhaest dives into what it means to make films in a multi-screen post-Nintendo society.