Once Upon a Time is a digital artwork that brings new life into an abandoned building by combining photography with animation to create a surreal, meditative and moving architectural space. The pictured building, built between 1890-1920, is the interior of an old decaying house in the Dannawi neighbourhood of Beirut, Lebanon. A custom musical score has been added by Swedish composer Karl-David Larson.
Koopmans and Wexell’s work captures the unrelenting and permanent qualities of nature. By juxtaposing wild and vibrant natural elements with a derelict, built environment, this work invites the viewer to meditate on nature’s resilience relative to human creation.
The piece was premiered at the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague Castle during the exhibition Non-Fungible Castle from October 27 - November 13, 2022.