‘Harvest' is a piece from the genesis project ‘The Wild Within’ by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. This series brings new life into abandoned buildings from a bygone Soviet era. Based on real-world physical spaces, an animated rebirth into a digital realm has been created. During the Soviet Union, the Georgian town of Tskaltubo was a popular health destination famed for its therapeutic water and luxurious sanatoriums. Between the 1940’s to 1980’s thousands of people visited, including Stalin and his high-ranking officials from Moscow. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the buildings were deserted and fell into disrepair. Since the early 90's, they have been slowly dismantled and stripped of their valuable materials, leaving empty shells of what were once grandiose classical structures. Koopmans visited this region over several years, exploring the ruins and photographing the spaces. Upon returning, in collaboration with Alice Wexell, they digitally introduced vegetation, manipulated the lighting and structure, added sound by Ross K, and animated the scenes with the intention of reviving the empty spaces, essentially bringing life back into the rooms. The results are a surreal collision between the past and future, as well as the physical and digital worlds. Some of the buildings depicted in this project have been demolished in recent months, further emphasizing the theme of time passing in the cycle of growth and decay.

The Wild Within - ‘Harvest’

‘Devotion' is a piece from the genesis project ‘The Wild Within’ by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. This series brings new life into abandoned buildings from a bygone Soviet era. Based on real-world physical spaces, an animated rebirth into a digital realm has been created. During the Soviet Union, the Georgian town of Tskaltubo was a popular health destination famed for its therapeutic water and luxurious sanatoriums. Between the 1940’s to 1980’s thousands of people visited, including Stalin and his high-ranking officials from Moscow. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the buildings were deserted and fell into disrepair. Since the early 90's, they have been slowly dismantled and stripped of their valuable materials, leaving empty shells of what were once grandiose classical structures. Koopmans visited this region over several years, exploring the ruins and photographing the spaces. Upon returning, in collaboration with Alice Wexell, they digitally introduced vegetation, manipulated the lighting and structure, added sound by Erik Thome, and animated the scenes with the intention of reviving the empty spaces, essentially bringing life back into the rooms. The results are a surreal collision between the past and future, as well as the physical and digital worlds. Some of the buildings depicted in this project have been demolished in recent months, further emphasizing the theme of time passing in the cycle of growth and decay. 

The Wild Within - ‘Devotion’ 

‘Remedy’ is the second piece from the series ‘Everlasting’, a collection of digital artworks that bring new life into abandoned or historic buildings by combining photography with animation to create surreal, meditative, moving architectural spaces. Over a period of several years, artists Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell travelled around the world exploring and photographing forsaken buildings and unique architectural sites. They were drawn to these locations based on the particular historical, cultural and architectural qualities of the place. From ancient temples in the mountains of Armenia, to elaborate abandoned theatres in the Middle East, the artists trekked to remote corners of the planet under strenuous conditions in order to find remarkable and unseen locations where their creativity could be applied. Once the architecture has been photographed, the images are then modelled into virtual environments and overgrown plant-life is introduced digitally. The lighting and structure is modified, a custom musical composition is added, and the photograph is transformed into a moving image that loops seamlessly. The piece ‘Remedy’ features an original score by composer Karl-David Larson. The artist’s intentions are to revive these vacant spaces, essentially bringing life back into the buildings. They aim to transport the viewer into an alternate place and time, creating a surreal collision between the past and future as well as the merging of physical and digital worlds. Conceptually, the theme of preservation is compounded by the fact that some of the buildings depicted in the artworks have been demolished or continue to deteriorate, further emphasizing the theme of time passing in the cycle of growth and decay. The fusing of documentary-style photography with the imaginative potential of animation techniques results in a body of work that is captivating and meditative.

Everlasting - ‘Remedy’

‘The Thought of You’ is a digital artwork that conveys a compelling narrative about the cycle of time, the resurgence of nature, and the socio-historical nuances of architectural landscapes.

This 1 of 1 piece is a collision of the past and future, as well as the physical and digital worlds.

As part of the 'The Wild Within' collection, ‘The Thought of You’ revives an abandoned historic building by seamlessly merging photography and animation, giving rise to a surreal, contemplative, and dynamic architectural realm.

The artwork aims to revive this vacant space, essentially bringing life back into the building.

Since 2009, Ryan Koopmans and his partner, Alice Wexell, have been traveling the world, conducting research, exploring, and photographing forsaken buildings and distinctive architectural sites. They are attracted to these locations due to their historical, cultural, and architectural significance.

The locations span from ancient temples nestled in the mountains of Armenia to abandoned sanatoriums in Georgia, and from ruined villas in Italy and Poland to those scattered across the Middle East and other distant lands.

After photographing the architecture, the images are transformed into virtual environments, with overgrown plant life added digitally.

Subsequently, modifications are made to the lighting and structure, complemented by an original musical composition by Swedish composer Karl-David Larson. 

This process culminates in the seamless transformation of the static picture into a moving image that loops infinitely.

Through this artwork, the artists aim to transport the viewer into an alternate place and time.

‘The Thought of You’ finds its artistic expression against the stunning backdrop of a villa interior built in the early 1700s, located in rural central Italy. The historic architecture served as a canvas for the artists to unleash their creativity, resulting in a meditative artwork that breathes new life into this timeless setting.

The building continues to deteriorate and is being slowly disassembled, further emphasizing the primary theme of the work, the passing of time in a cycle of growth and decay.

By combining real-world photographic process with the imaginative possibilities of digital techniques, a captivating digital artwork is created, steeped in conceptual meaning and aesthetic beauty.

The Thought of You

'Flowering of Ideas' is a collaborative artwork that seamlessly merges the physical and digital realms through the integration of photography, animation, and artificial intelligence.

In this debut collaboration for AI artist Botto, alongside artists Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell, a 1/1 artwork was created that explores themes of growth, decay, and the cyclical nature of time.

The collaborative process started with a selection of un-minted works by Botto, known as “fragments”. These fragments come from over 900,000 generations by Botto, representing Botto’s evolving aesthetic over time. They are considered Fragments because they are incomplete until they’ve been selected through collective vote by Botto’s governing community BottoDAO, a decentralized group of stewards guiding the autonomous artist. For the collaboration, BottoDAO voted in consultation with Koopmans and Wexell on the top 1000 fragments Botto had generated since its inception, resulting in a top ten.

These final ten were submitted to Koopmans and Wexell, who had complete artistic freedom to make their interpretation and integration of Botto’s work into theirs. They chose seven fragments to seamlessly incorporate into an abandoned architectural interior, which they researched, sought out and captured through photography.

The core of the artwork is the photograph taken inside of a once-grandiose, now decaying villa in Southern Poland. After photographing the architecture, they modeled the image into a virtual environment with the addition of overgrown animated foliage. In reality, the building continues to deteriorate and undergo disassembly, emphasizing the primary theme of the collaboration: the passage of time in a cycle of growth and decay.

'Flowering of Ideas', whose name comes from one of the submitted fragments, revitalizes not only the discarded Botto pieces used in the artwork but also the decaying architectural interior captured in the photograph.

By blending the artists' techniques, a digital artwork emerged, recontextualizing the essence of the fragments and rejuvenating the space they inhabit.

Swedish composer Karl-David Larson created an original musical composition, and the static picture was transformed into a moving image.

The artists were captivated by the idea of harmoniously integrating Botto's AI-generated outputs within the existing frames adorning the weathered walls of this decaying building.

Employing meticulous visual techniques, Koopmans and Wexell aged the Botto fragments to give them an authentic appearance akin to original paintings. This creative choice aims to evoke a surreal and uncanny sense of place and time, blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction.

The Botto fragments exude an unmistakable AI essence whilst blending into the scene, creating an illusion of belonging. This deliberate interplay of reality and fiction lies at the heart of the artists' vision.

Furthermore, by consciously placing, arranging, and cropping the Botto fragments, the artists constructed a narrative interplay between the visuals that explores themes of interpersonal connection, the passage of time, and growth.

Through this artwork, the artists also aim to transport viewers to an imaginative place and time, combining traditional subject matter with contemporary creative techniques.

Flowering of Ideas w/ Botto

‘Levitate’ is part of the series ‘Everlasting’, a collection of digital artworks that bring new life into abandoned and historic buildings by combining photography with animation to create surreal, meditative, moving architectural spaces. Over a period of several years, artists Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell travelled around the world exploring and photographing forsaken buildings and unique architectural sites. They were drawn to these locations based on the particular historical, cultural and architectural qualities of the place. From ancient temples in the mountains of Armenia, to elaborate abandoned theatres in the Middle East, the artists trekked to remote corners of the planet under strenuous conditions in order to find remarkable and unseen locations where their creativity could be applied. Once the architecture has been photographed, the images are then modelled into virtual environments and overgrown plant-life is introduced digitally. The lighting and structure is modified, a custom musical composition is added, and the photograph is transformed into a moving image that loops seamlessly. Furthermore, the piece ‘Levitate’ features an original score by composer Karl-David Larson. The artist’s intentions are to revive these vacant spaces, essentially bringing life back into the buildings. They aim to transport the viewer into an alternate place and time, creating a surreal collision between the past and future as well as the merging of physical and digital worlds. Conceptually, the theme of preservation is compounded by the fact that some of the buildings depicted in the artworks have been demolished or continue to deteriorate, further emphasizing the theme of time passing in the cycle of growth and decay. The fusing of documentary-style photography with the imaginative potential of animation techniques results in a body of work that is captivating and meditative.

Everlasting - ‘Levitate’ 

'Once Upon a Time' is part of the series 'Symphony' from the project The Wild Within that brings new life into abandoned and historic buildings by combining photography with animation to create surreal, meditative, moving architectural spaces.

The building pictured, built between 1890-1920, is the interior of an old decaying villa in the Dannawi neighbourhood of Beirut, Lebanon. 

Over a period of several years, artists Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell travelled around the world exploring and photographing forsaken buildings and unique architectural sites. They were drawn to these locations based on the particular historical, cultural and architectural qualities of the place. From ancient temples in the mountains of Armenia, to elaborate abandoned theatres in the Middle East, the artists trekked to remote corners of the planet under strenuous conditions in order to find remarkable and unseen locations where their creativity could be applied.

Once the architecture has been photographed, the images are then modelled into virtual environments and overgrown plant-life is introduced digitally. The lighting and structure is modified, a custom musical composition is added, and the photograph is transformed into a moving image that loops seamlessly. Furthermore, the piece features an original score by composer Karl-David Larson.

The artists intentions are to revive these vacant spaces, essentially bringing life back into the buildings. They aim to transport the viewer into an alternate place and time, creating a surreal collision between the past and future as well as the merging of physical and digital worlds.

Conceptually, the theme of preservation is compounded by the fact that some of the buildings depicted in the artworks have been demolished or continue to deteriorate, further emphasizing the theme of time passing in the cycle of growth and decay.

The fusing of documentary-style photography with the imaginative potential of animation techniques results in a body of work that is captivating and meditative.

Symphony - 'Once Upon a Time'

‘Liminal State’ is a collaborative artwork between Ryan Koopmans and Cath Simard that explores the transitional phase of wakefulness to sleep. 
 
This in-between moment of consciousness occurs during the onset of sleep, often blurring imagination with reality and creating a hallucinatory phenomenon for the senses. 
 
The artists combine their visual techniques by fusing photography and 3D animation, merging the notions of fact and fiction throughout the layers of the artwork. 
 
A dreamlike metamorphosis between what is real and what is an illusion is amplified by the darkness of night and the blending of light from both inside and outside. 
 
The concepts of place and time are suspended, as the foreground depicts an abandoned building in the country of Georgia photographed by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell, and the background depicts a mountain range photographed on the other side of the world in Patagonia by Cath Simard. 
 
The images are tied together through the implementation of animated plants and atmospheric effects. The piece features a musical score created by Swedish musician Karl David Larson.

Liminal State w/ Cath Simard

Collaborations - Ryan Koopmans

'Euphoria' is a digital artwork that conveys a compelling narrative about the cycle of time, the resurgence of nature, and the socio-historical nuances of architectural landscapes.

This 1/1 piece is a collision of the past and future, as well as the physical and digital worlds.

Part of the series 'Symphony' and the collection 'The Wild Within', 'Euphoria' brings an abandoned historic building back to life by combining photography and animation to create a surreal, meditative, moving architectural space.

The artwork aims to revive this vacant space, essentially bringing life back into the building.

Ryan Koopmans and his partner Alice Wexell travelled around the world for several years, exploring and photographing forsaken buildings and unique architectural sites. They were drawn to these locations based on their historical, cultural, and architectural qualities.

Locations include ancient temples in the mountains of Armenia, abandoned sanatoriums in Georgia, ruined villas in the Middle East and beyond.

Once the architecture is photographed, the images are modelled into virtual environments, and overgrown plant-life is added digitally. 

Lighting and structure are then modified, an original musical composition by Swedish composer Karl-David Larson is created, and the static picture is transformed into a moving image that loops seamlessly.

The architecture featured in 'Euphoria' is situated within an interesting context, marked by a unique backstory.

The real-life structure is situated in Tskaltubo, a small Georgian town that was once a popular health destination during the Soviet Union. Thousands of people visited the town’s sanatoriums annually from the 1940s to 1990s. After the USSR collapsed, the buildings were abandoned and fell into disrepair. 

Since the early 1990s, the Sanatoriums have been slowly dismantled and stripped of their valuable materials, leaving empty shells of what were once grandiose classical structures.

This abandoned ballroom in the Shaxtiori Sanatorium, constructed 1951 in Socialist Classicism style, proved to be the perfect environment for the artists to apply their creative touch for 'Euphoria'.

The building continues to deteriorate and is being slowly disassembled, further emphasizing the primary theme of the work, the passing of time in a cycle of growth and decay.

Through these artworks, the artists aim to transport the viewer into an alternate place and time.

This fusing of documentary-style photography with the imaginative potential of animation techniques results in a captivating looping digital artwork.

Symphony - 'Euphoria'

Ryan Koopmans (BA, MFA) is a Canadian-Dutch artist interested in the built environment and the societies that are shaped by those environments. His book 'Vantage' published in 2020 depicts surreal structures in our world’s megacities and urban landscapes. Koopmans' artwork is collected & exhibited worldwide and been featured by WIRED, Architectural Digest, CNN, Vogue, GQ, The Guardian, Mercedes-Benz & more.

See his complete portfolio of 1/1s on SuperRare here https://superrare.com/ryankoopmans

Ryan Koopmans 1/1

‘Promises' is the second piece from the genesis project ‘The Wild Within’ by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. This series brings new life into abandoned buildings from a bygone Soviet era. Based on real-world physical spaces, an animated rebirth into a digital realm has been created. During the Soviet Union, the Georgian town of Tskaltubo was a popular health destination famed for its therapeutic water and luxurious sanatoriums. Between the 1940’s to 1980’s thousands of people visited, including Stalin and his high-ranking officials from Moscow. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the buildings were deserted and fell into disrepair. Since the early 90's, they have been slowly dismantled and stripped of their valuable materials, leaving empty shells of what were once grandiose classical structures. Koopmans visited this region over several years, exploring the ruins and photographing the spaces. Upon returning, in collaboration with Alice Wexell, they digitally introduced vegetation, manipulated the lighting and structure, added sound by Ross K, and animated the scenes with the intention of reviving the empty spaces, essentially bringing life back into the rooms. The results are a surreal collision between the past and future, as well as the physical and digital worlds. Some of the buildings depicted in this project have been demolished in recent months, further emphasizing the theme of time passing in the cycle of growth and decay.

The Wild Within - 'Promises'

‘Desire’ is part of the series ‘Everlasting’, a collection of digital artworks that bring new life into abandoned and historic buildings by combining photography with animation to create surreal, meditative, moving architectural spaces.

Over a period of several years, artists Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell travelled around the world exploring and photographing forsaken buildings and unique architectural sites. They were drawn to these locations based on the particular historical, cultural and architectural qualities of the place. From ancient temples in the mountains of Armenia, to elaborate abandoned theatres in the Middle East, the artists trekked to remote corners of the planet under strenuous conditions in order to find remarkable and unseen locations where their creativity could be applied.

Once the architecture has been photographed, the images are then modelled into virtual environments and overgrown plant-life is introduced digitally. The lighting and structure is modified, a custom musical composition is added, and the photograph is transformed into a moving image that loops seamlessly. Furthermore, the piece ‘Desire’ features an original score by composer Karl-David Larson.

The artists intentions are to revive these vacant spaces, essentially bringing life back into the buildings. They aim to transport the viewer into an alternate place and time, creating a surreal collision between the past and future as well as the merging of physical and digital worlds.

Conceptually, the theme of preservation is compounded by the fact that some of the buildings depicted in the artworks have been demolished or continue to deteriorate, further emphasizing the theme of time passing in the cycle of growth and decay.

The fusing of documentary-style photography with the imaginative potential of animation techniques results in a body of work that is captivating and meditative.

Everlasting - ‘Desire’

SuperRare

‘Headquarters’ is a collaborative artwork created by Annibale Siconolfi and Ryan Koopmans.

Siconolfi's piece depicts an imaginative, futuristic city with both utopian and dystopian elements.

Koopmans' contribution is an architectural interior photograph that he and his partner Alice Wexell took in the country of Georgia, then implemented animated plants and light to create a surreal, overgrown space that overlooks Siconolfi’s city.

The exterior view from the room is Siconolfi's cityscape, designed in an architectural style that reflects the structural curvature and materials of Koopmans’ interior.

The artists' pieces were designed to complement and enhance each other aesthetically, as the themes found in their work align conceptually in a compelling way.

Headquarters

Collaborations II - Ryan Koopmans

'Sanctuary' is a digital artwork that conveys a compelling narrative about the cycle of time, the resurgence of nature, and the socio-historical nuances of architectural landscapes.

This 1/1 piece is a collision of the past and future, as well as the physical and digital worlds.

Part of the chapter 'Symphony' from the collection 'The Wild Within', 'Sanctuary' brings an abandoned historic building back to life by combining photography and animation to create a surreal, meditative, moving architectural space.

The artwork aims to revive this vacant space, essentially bringing life back into the building.

Ryan Koopmans and his partner Alice Wexell traveled around the world exploring and photographing forsaken buildings and unique architectural sites. They were drawn to these locations based on their historical, cultural, and architectural qualities.

Locations include ancient temples in the mountains of Armenia, abandoned villas in Lebanon and Italy, sanatoriums in Georgia, ruined villas in the Middle East and beyond.

Once the architecture is photographed, the images are modelled into virtual environments, and overgrown plant-life is added digitally.

Lighting and structure are then modified, an original musical composition by Swedish composer Karl-David Larson is created, and the static picture is transformed into a moving image that loops seamlessly.

‘Sanctuary’ finds its artistic expression against the backdrop of an abandoned health spa in the outskirts of the country Georgia. Upon collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s, sanatoriums and other similar buildings fell into disrepair. The historic architecture serves as a perfect canvas for the artists to unleash their creativity, resulting in a meditative artwork that brings new life to this timeless setting.

In real life, this building continues to deteriorate and is being slowly disassembled, further emphasizing the primary theme of the work, the passing of time in a cycle of growth and decay.

Through these artworks, the artists aim to transport the viewer into an alternate place and time. This fusing of documentary-style photography with the imaginative potential of animation techniques results in a captivating looping digital artwork.

Apart from the tradable NFT, 'Sanctuary' offers an additional immersive experience developed with Wildxyz.

The Wild Within - Sanctuary

[Wildxyz Residency, Season 0](https://wild.xyz/artists-and-collections/)

Description: 'Sanctuary' is a digital artwork that conveys a compelling narrative about the cycle of time, the resurgence of nature, and the socio-historical nuances of architectural landscapes.

This 1/1 piece is a collision of the past and future, as well as the physical and digital worlds.

Part of the chapter 'Symphony' from the collection 'The Wild Within', 'Sanctuary' brings an abandoned historic building back to life by combining photography and animation to create a surreal, meditative, moving architectural space.

The artwork aims to revive this vacant space, essentially bringing life back into the building.

Ryan Koopmans and his partner Alice Wexell traveled around the world exploring and photographing forsaken buildings and unique architectural sites. They were drawn to these locations based on their historical, cultural, and architectural qualities.

Locations include ancient temples in the mountains

Sanctuary by Ryan Koopmans

'The Enchanted Hour' is a dynamic artwork that merges reality and imagination, centred around the concept of time - a modern twist on the traditional cuckoo clock.  

Every hour, an owl emerges from the painting, soaring through the room and hooting to mark the time.  

Every day, at both 7am and 7pm, the artwork transitions between day and night, synchronizing with the viewer's location.  

This piece originated from images captured during Ryan Koopmans & Alice Wexell's exploration of a 400-year-old abandoned villa in Northern Italy.  

Inspired by its overgrown beauty, timeless structure, and interplay of light, they artfully blended reality and imagination, fusing nature and architecture through photography and animation.  

Employing cutting-edge technology, the artwork pays homage to classical subject matter while pushing the boundaries of artistic expression.  

The ongoing decay of the physical building adds further relevance to the theme of time's passage and the cycle of growth and decay.  

Through re-contextualization in the digital realm, the artists breathe new life into this architectural marvel, preserving it on the blockchain for eternity.

RyanKoopmans

RyanKoopmans

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