On a recent visit to the International Studio & Curatorial Program—one of the largest artist residency programs in the city—I became mesmerized by Alice Wang’s work. Wang is a Canadian sculptor and experimental filmmaker who is currently completing a residency at ISCP. I was lucky enough to meet her, visit her studio, and attend a screening of her most recent film project, Pyramids and Parabolas III (2024).
I was deeply struck by this film. Wang shot the entire project on 60mm film across Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Iceland, and the Arctic, where she traveled solo. The visuals were breathtaking scenes that felt both distant and familiar. Alongside these visuals, Wang narrated her own writing in a voice-over and carefully selected sounds and music reminiscent of a rave. Her writing was phenomenal—the perfect balance between poetry and prose.
The film grapples with the limitations of the human experience, both physical and psychological. Wang masterfully combines all elements of the film to evoke a sense of fear while simultaneously conveying serenity, freedom, and calmness. What are the limits of our bodies? Wang approaches this question from a deeply personal angle—hence the solo travel, rave music, and the implied presence of drugs. Yet, I found it so powerful that a film so intimately tied to the creator’s experience could hold meaning that transcended her own. Limits, freedom, and life itself are subjects we all contemplate. Sometimes, the more personal art is, the more universally resonant it becomes.
I highly recommend watching Pyramids and Parabolas III and exploring Alice Wang’s other work.