Experiencing Interruptions?

Pyramids and Parabolas III

In search of landscapes on Earth that resemble those from other planets, Pyramids and Parabolas III is a structuralist film that captures footage from solo expeditions to Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Iceland, and the Arctic over the last six years. The film, underscored by a soundtrack from the musician Ciel, unfolds as a series of psychic states. Presenting the body as an instrument for exploring physical and psychological landscapes, the film weaves together travelogues, personal anecdotes, and family history — aiming to extend beyond the limits of human comprehension.

  • Alice Wang
    Director
  • Alice Wang
    Writer
  • Alice Wang
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Essay, Structural
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Iceland, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    16mm, Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Alice Wang

Alice Wang received a B.Sc. in Computer Science and International Relations from the University of Toronto, a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts, and an MFA from New York University. She was a fellow at the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, a Villa Aurora fellow in Berlin, and a grant recipient from the Canada Council for the Arts. Wang has participated in solo exhibitions at the UCCA Dune Art Museum, Beidaihe, China; Capsule Shanghai (2017, 2021); Human Resources, Los Angeles; and 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica, among others. She has also presented work at the Hammer Museum, Galleria Continua, Para Site, Galerie Urs Meile, and the 14th Shanghai Biennale. Wang will be an artist-in-residence at the International Studio & Curatorial Program in December. She lives and works in New York.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Over the last ten years, I have been working with the mantra: the Earth is plummeting towards the Sun but missing it at the same time. Through visits to the Arctic, Biosphere2, the Mayan Pyramids, and other geological, technological, and archaeological sites, I investigate the uncanny dimensions of the natural world. Using metamorphic substances such as fossils, meteorites, moss, and heat, I combine scientific, technological, and mythical perspectives to see how materials found in nature can be understood to embody existential qualities. From the cosmic to the molecular, matter — like radiation leftover from the Big Bang, or wax secreted from bees — reveals certain underlying forces in nature. Working with byproducts of the metabolic process of the universe, the protean forms in sculpture, photography, and film travel between different timescales; the physical boundary of the work is not limited to its visible expression.