End Transmission
A short film by Stelios Vassiloudis
Stelios is a classically trained, electronic music composer/performer. He has been active in the music industry for over 15 years and is working on the release of his new LP.
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the planet, Stelios composed “End Transmission” to help raise awareness about the consequences of the destruction of nature. He reached out to Saving Nature after reading Stuart Pimm’s recent research findings demonstrating the connections between deforestation, loss of biodiversity, climate change, and the occurrence of pandemics spreading from wild animals to humans.
Stelios has composed a wide spectrum of styles and genres, which he has performed in venues around the world. Stelios studied at the University of Southampton, where he received a BEng in Acoustics and Music. He furthered his studies at New York University, where he received a MA in Music Composition from NYU and at the University of Warwick, where he received an MBA.
“End Transmission” is an unreleased composition from his forthcoming LP, for which he created the visual component as a means of enhancing the content. The music was written as a desperate response to the tragic events occurring across the planet (unregulated pollution, deforestation, CO2 and Methane emissions), all leading to irreversible climate change.
Over the course of the pandemic and subsequent lock-downs in cities across the world, it occurred to Stelios that there must be some sort of connection between the changes we were experiencing; something linking our plight to the decimation of natural habitats around the world. The narrative of the video is his attempt to demonstrate this connection through the observations of a helpless, desperate observer trying to establish contact in a dystopian world where the most bleak effects of climate change and pandemics have already taken their toll.
Reflections on the Video
by Stelios Vassiloudis
In trying to address the important function artists can play in raising awareness for critical issues such as climate change and loss of biodiversity, I was reminded of Aristotle’s Metaphysics, in which he discussed man’s intellect and (subsequent) natural desire to understand. Following his teacher Plato’s supposition that all art is imitation, as expressed in the famous allegory of the cave from Republic, Aristotle made the case for its merits; the pleasure we derive from it, its importance in human development and the differentiative quality it gives our species. It seems ironic, perhaps even paradoxical then, that artistic media such as film & music – which classical philosophy would argue are but mere copies of real world objects and events – are so well suited to provoke imperative analysis and appraisal of the environment we inhabit and the peril in which it is currently in.
Upon announcing his seminal Black Light installation in the Arctic, acclaimed photographer Michel Comte commented that “time and apathy are the biggest challenges we face in the race against climate change; arts and culture possess a unique power to inspire and to shake up, to share ideas and to unite in a common cause”.
It was the exact same sentiment that inspired me, temporally and geographically separated from Mr. Comte, to create End Transmission. Although I’ve been composing and releasing music for over 15 years, I’ve rarely felt the impetus or even the need to supplement my work with visuals. Perhaps I’ve lacked the appropriate incentive or vision – or maybe I was yet to experience the galvanizing effects of a compelling subject matter. Regardless, as I meticulously recorded, programmed, sequenced and tinkered in my Athens studio in the fall of 2019, it eventually became quite clear to me that my desperate, dystopian electronic opera was crying out for a visual narrative partner. Over the course of the pandemic and ensuing lockdowns in cities across the world, it occurred to me that there must be some sort of connection between the dramatic changes we were experiencing; something linking our plight to the decimation of natural habitats around the world. The film aims to demonstrate this connection through the attempts of a helpless observer to establish human contact in a world where the most bleak effects of climate change and pandemics have already taken their toll.
I believe that the perception of art requires attention; the more completely engaged your audience is, the clearer your message. Relating this to the task of communicating about important issues such as climate change, which many people still see as an abstract issue that poses no direct threat, it is valuable to recognize that art can provide a visualization of the problem and give the audience an inimitable personal experience with the subject matter; something that standard climate communications generally lack. The natural world has been a source of inspiration for artists since time immemorial. However, in recent years, as wildfires ignite across the globe, ocean levels rise and entire ecosystems collapse, we have been faced with the ever-increasing and inescapable effects of our climate crisis. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, humanity has shown that global, collectivized action against existential threat is possible. It is my opinion that art can be another of these beacons of hope, lighting the way and compelling us to act; whether it’s by raising awareness or prompting us to imagine a better, more sustainable future.
To see a gallery of work by Stelios Vassiloudis, please click here.