Shadwa Ali
How Basel Changed The World
The Plague Of Burst
Off-Grid
Beyond The Shore
Resonance Of The Gyre
Dust & Glitter
Self-Error
Requiem For A Grief
The Capsule
Magic Sand
Tropics
Chaotic Routine
Inktober
The Other World
The Plague of Burst (2025)
Video & Sound
The plague of Burst is a commissioned work by King's College residency series Beyond 1932, London, UK.
A Video & sound that captures the emotional weight of modern existence, “The Plague of Burst” explores the tension between the suppressed human psyche and the relentless pace of contemporary life. In a world that demands motion without pause, emotions become an unspoken burden—hidden, suppressed, yet ever-present.
The piece contrasts a 12-minute montage of relaxing & ASMR found footage with an immersive soundscape of field-recorded ambient noise. The imagery, serene and meditative, contrasts starkly with the underlying tension of recorded urban soundscapes—waiting queues in metro stations, banks, and bustling streets—interwoven with subtle, rhythmic breathing sounds, symbolizing the quiet struggle beneath the surface of everyday life.
At its core, the artwork draws a parallel between human emotional suppression and the natural world’s latent chaos. Like an impending avalanche or a dormant volcano, these emotions remain beneath the surface, waiting for the inevitable rupture. In this way, the work reflects both personal and planetary tension, hinting at an eruption yet to come.
Duration: 12:24 min