Mies or A Crippled Symmetry is a 3D-animated 9 minute film set in a digital reconstruction of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion, originally built for the 1929 International Exposition and dismantled in 1930. The architecture was remodeled based on original blueprints.
The film follows a digitally aged version of Mies, whose presence is rendered through blurred reflections and fragmented views, alternating between first-person perspective and external shots from low angles, ceilings, and windows.
As he sits down, the building begins to collapse, and Mies falls into a bottomless pit. The camera enters his body, revealing an interior space composed of deformed fragments of the pavilion. Over time, these fragments slowly assemble into a new architectural structure.
Sound design was developed by Chengchen Pan, focusing on haptic, close-range realism.
The film was shown in several screenings and exhibitons, including the DFF (Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum), the Vietnam Art Collection (VAC), Kunsthalle Kassel and the GfZK Unlearning Digitalities program.
