SÉBASTIEN ROBERT & MARK IJZERMAN : Another Deep

— AV live performance
Thursday, 2 Oct. 7 PM / Garrison Command > TICKETS

Another Deep is an A/V live performance and installation by Sébastien Robert and Mark IJzerman, transporting you to the ocean depths near Svalbard, Norway, to confront the layered realities of imminent deep-sea mining. Through intricate soundscapes and intimate visual experiences, the project immerses you in the presence of the raw materials—vital for modern technologies like smartphones and electric vehicles—whose extraction transforms ecosystems and fuels geopolitical tensions.

Another Deep envelops you in sound: the haunting calls of belugas and sperm whales, the crackling of melting glaciers—both above and below the surface—and the deep vibrations of the ocean floor. These sounds, captured using hydrophones and ultrasensitive microphones during the Arctic Circle Residency program, blend with visuals of the ocean floor, archival footage, and microscopic footage. Together, they juxtapose the unseen—marine life, retreating ice, and microscopic plankton from Svalbard’s waters—with the tangible: actual deep-sea polymetallic nodules, presented in an installation that represents the mechanics of deep-sea drilling. This interplay reveals the forces of life, industry, and transformation at work in the region.

Another Deep prompts reflection on the deep entanglement of human activity and natural systems, revealing the Arctic as a place of both fragile beauty and profound changes. It invites you to reflect on what is gained—and what is lost—when extraction reshapes ecosystems, and to grasp its broader environmental, social, and political ripples.

Interdisciplinary artist and researcher, Sébastien Robert works across visual and sound art, technology, science, and ethnography. His projects, developed within the long-term cycle You’re no Bird of Paradise, explore endangered Indigenous sonic rituals and cosmologies, translating them into durable artworks rooted in the materials and geographies of the communities he encounters.

Interdisciplinary artist, Mark IJzerman gives voice to the more-than-human world, investigating planetary processes such as biodiversity loss and the impact of warming waters through audiovisual installations and performances. His works incorporate living organisms, custom-built software, and film, cultivating new intimacies between humans and non-human entities. Inspired by speculative fiction, he explores the tensions between technological progress and environmental degradation.