To create an immersive installation that re-interprets the sensory world of ancient Mesopotamia – not as a literal reconstruction, but as a contemporary, aesthetic encounter with a lost civilization through material, sound, light and form.
The process was grounded in material and historical research – diving into Ubaid and Tell Asmar figurines, cuneiform scripts, and the Epic of Gilgamesh. A stylescape was developed early to guide the aesthetic direction, which later informed AI-generated video content. Physical artifacts were handcrafted in clay (approx. 7 hours of sculpting), and the display stand was iteratively prototyped before being built in wood with laser-cut cuneiform inscriptions. Sound by Peter Pringle was integrated as an emotional and atmospheric layer.
Tools: Adobe Neo, Adobe Firefly, Adobe XD, LTX studio, Adobe Audition, CapCut, laser cutting, iterative physical prototyping, clay sculpting.
The installation was exhibited at NDSM, Amsterdam, January 2025, as part of the Immersive Environments minor. It received highly positive audience feedback.
Echoes of Mesopotamia taught me that the strongest immersive design does not attempt to reconstruct – it resonates. The seven hours of clay sculpting were not just craft; they were a conceptual act that placed slowness and tactility at the heart of the experience. Given more time, I would have explored experimenting with interactivity through sensors to guide visitors through the installation more deliberately.
Stylescape of the installation. The AI-generated videos were based on this stylescape later on.
The installation video projected on the wall.
