Next Gen: Digitizing wilderness with Freyja Sewell

The pandemic's effects are still plain to see as we go about our days. It's hard to remember how we spend our time during those uncertain and often lonely years. Artist Freyja Sewell decided to utilise the pandemic to deepen her connection with nature. Feeling the pull of the untamed landscapes of Cornwall, England, she made a bold decision: to immerse herself in the wilderness in complete silence.

As part of her remote residency with Artists in Nature International (AiNIN), she undertook a month-long vow of silence and unplugged from all recreational tech. Yet, during this silent communion with nature, she recognized the interplay between our biological reality and the world of human design. There, the concept of her film United Fields, grew its roots.

Sewell decided to become a bridge between the two worlds. Through her perspective, Sewell digitised her encounters with the wilderness, capturing the essence of her surroundings through photographs, videos, 3D modeling scans, and audio recordings. These raw, unfiltered expressions of nature were then uploaded to a shared online repository, accessible to fellow digital creators scattered across England, Prague, and Tokyo. Entrusted with complete creative freedom, these collaborators were invited to remix Sewell's digital assets, infusing them with their own interpretations and insights.

With no geographical boundaries and cultural barriers, these intimate exchanges through the internet helped participants to forge meaningful connections in the midst of a global pandemic. Director Elena Omura edited these meaningful bonds formed through the internet into the film United Field. The film now stands as a testament to the symbiotic relationship between humanity, technology and nature. Accompanying the film are Freyja Sewell's digital paintings, ToBeTree, ToBeMoss, and ToBeRock, which serve as a visual representation of her journey towards a deeper communion with the natural world.

Unified Field showed the ethos of slow living in a fast-paced world, like a gentle reminder that technology is a tool to be wielded with intention and mindfulness. It defies the relentless march of progress, embracing a pace dictated by the rhythms of nature rather than the demands of the digital age.

This story is part of Next Gen, a series in which we give young makers a platform to showcase their work. Your work here? Get in touch and plot your coordinates as we navigate our future together.