Artist
Yeon Sung

Title
Xiren

Budget CBK Rotterdam
€ 7.500,00

Year of award
2025

Request type
I&V subsidy

In 'Xiren', Yeon Sung investigates the invisible presence of radioactive Saharan dust particles drifting across Europe from former nuclear test sites in Algeria. Sung sees this dust not only as a threat to the environment, but also as the physical remnants of colonial violence. She questions how we can detect such toxins, and which artistic DIY tools can contribute to this. With 'Xiren', Yeon Sung aims to create a siren installation that translates real-time data on dust and radiation into sound and movement. The instrument thus functions as a sensor and a sensory experience of something that is imperceptible. The project marks a new chapter in Sung's interest in accessible technology, ecological pollution, and decolonial theory. The research begins with interviews with experts and fieldwork in La Hague, an area in northern France with high radioactivity. During this phase, she also participates in HARO, a demonstration opposing nuclear expansion. Sung also plans to conduct technical experiments at Waag Amsterdam and TU Delft, after which the final phase will involve creating prototypes that will be tested as an open-source version.