Une lettre à Liam
One channel video installation, digital 4k, color, 16:9, french spoken, BE, 2024, 9’
Une lettre à Liam is a poetic love letter that retraces Niko Wei’s road from Brussels to Tokyo in search of a specific image: one that represents his love toward his little brother. The journey led him to Mount Fuji, where an obsession emerged: capturing the mountain at blue hour.
In the process the project evolved into a video installation consisting of a single projected image in a black box and a voice-over, in which Liam read the letter aloud for the first time, to be listened to through a separate set of headphones.
Photography and concept Niko Wei
Camera assistant Aio Lueders
Sound Rick Van Oss
Creative assistance Misha van der Werf
Dear Liam,
I wrote a scenario in which you had the main role. The first scene
that came to mind was simple. I imagined a wide shot of a beach,
with the sea in the background. There had to be water.
At the far left of the image: me.
You would be positioned at the far right of the shot.
We run towards each other.
In slow motion.
The waves gently roll in the background. We end up hugging each
other.
I can't remember the last time I hugged you.
The first scene I wrote would have been the end of our film.
I don’t know why, but I felt like the script sounded false. I took the
budget of our imaginary film without telling you, and I left for
Japan.
that came to mind was simple. I imagined a wide shot of a beach,
with the sea in the background. There had to be water.
At the far left of the image: me.
You would be positioned at the far right of the shot.
We run towards each other.
In slow motion.
The waves gently roll in the background. We end up hugging each
other.
I can't remember the last time I hugged you.
The first scene I wrote would have been the end of our film.
I don’t know why, but I felt like the script sounded false. I took the
budget of our imaginary film without telling you, and I left for
Japan.