Saskia Olde-Wolbers
Drowned worlds in slow motion

May 14 2015

It is rarely possible that an artist’s vision pierces me to the heart at first glance. Dutch artist Saskia Olde-Wolbers did so. Although I never had the chance to watch her video work in a gallery I can say I’m a fan. Her clear as a bell vision is unmistakable and unique. I am mesmerized by her aesthetics and the unusual way of accomplishing these visuals.

Since the mid-1990s, Saskia Olde Wolbers has been developing fictional documentaries often loosely based on factual events. Her intricate videos are driven by a combination of otherworldly imagery – meticulously handmade model sets – and the apparent inner monologue of the voiceover in the audio book-like soundtrack. The films are shot underwater, miniature sets dipped in paint to create unstable imagery that abstractly illustrates the narrator’s thought process.