ROUX - Issue 4, Mar 2023

16th

of March

run: 500

Chief Editor: Sibylline de Primabord

Team:

DOLEVA Zornitsa – recovering melancholiac

FERNANDES MAIA José Luis – dip pen nib; ink distributor

GAUBE Valère – writer; universal dilettante

GUSKOWSKI Leonie – writer; casual cyclist

HOON Jo Yi – writer; coastal grandmother

SOBRAL Cristina – writer; book devourer; overthinker

JACQUEMIN Jennifer – writer; gamer; head chef

MILLER Sofia – Bobby from Psychonauts

MOGLIA Jacopo – writer; contemplator

MOUZAKITI Eleni – writer; social media

SALT Kieran Alexander – peddler of nonsense

SHATOKHINA Kristina – woman of vision; high priestess

sofiya_10billion – film and multimedia expert

TAJTI Zoltan – suspicious activity from Hungary

We are thankful to: Office of Student Life, Veerle Waterplas, Sonja Di Renzo, Antonio Tavan, Repro Team, Espace Cultures, Anouk Wies, Karin Langumier, Bianca Pirelli, Rotondes, the lovely people of Student Lounge Belval and all children of SAUL, Dalmat CoffeeHouse, Julie Toussaint, LLC and Silvia, the waitress at Café Saga who puts up with us when we arrive near closing time after a meeting.

Unless otherwise noted, all images in the magazine are public domain as described in the Creative Commons CC0-1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication licence, and fall under no copyright obligations. Direct all copyright claims to: paper.roux@gmail.com

Find us at: campus buildings (reception areas, magazine stands), Student Lounges, chill-out-zones, Dalmat CoffeeHouse, and LLC.

Join us! We are always looking for graphic designers, writers, photographers, wine cellars and bottle openers. Full contact: paper.roux@gmail.com

Binary: https://issuu.com/rouxmagazine Instagram: @roux.magazine

Poster “In Baldrian Beruhigung sanft ich fand” a hand-drawn by: José Luis Fernandes Maia Calligraphy and illustration on page 7: Soroush Najarsaleh © ROUX Rodents, have you seen?

All fights deserved

Why the fuck ROUX? #2 (Electric Boogaloux)

Queste parole di colore oscuro vid’io scritte al sommo d’una porta; per ch’io: “Maestro, il senso lor m’è duro”. Dante, L’Inferno, canto III

News has reached us that the editorial of December’s issue, “Why the fuck ROUX?”, has not shone the light it intended upon the admittedly obscure name of this otherwise so highly colourful magazine. Puzzlement, baffled bewilderment and a searing sense of frustration continue to grip the crowd of our readers, who exclaim, as if from a single mouth: “Why the fuck ROUX?”.

Let this clarification appease them as to the origin and finality of the tetragram.

The Latinists in our readership will doubtlessly have noticed that ROUX is the anagram of uxor, which designates a woman or, more precisely, a married woman, a wife. But let this insight fool nobody. Wrongfully would one assume the magazine’s name to reference some of the rather unsavoury views held by the ancients towards the fair sex and which are crystallised, for instance, in the ancient Greek proverb:

Θάλασσα καὶ πῦρ καὶ γυνή, κακὰ τρία, adopted by the Romans as: Mare, ignis, mulier: tria sunt mala. Nothing could be further from the truth, as a skim through this issue will reveal an article on the Iranian celebration of Nowruz and the particular role that women play in it, penned by our esteemed Ελένη (who happens to be Greek, to top it all off).

And now, here is the kicker, if I dare say. Has it occurred to you that the name ROUX was specifically chosen, months in advance, for the sole purpose of this very article?... – Say again? Surely, I must be jesting! How? Are ROUX members diviners, whom Dante puts in the eighth circle of hell, where they are punished, for pretending to see farther ahead than anyone else, by having their neck twisted in such a way as to only be able to see and walk backwards?

Do you think that the ROUX redaction team has its head on backwards? Do you want to twist our neck? Join us and see for yourself.

In the meantime, we wish you to enjoy the present collection of articles. Stay tuned for April’s issue!

by Valère Gaube

Luxembourg: the political centre of the world. Well, not quite. Admittedly, the little Grand-Duchy’s politics do not move millions around the world daily. However, political decisions can still have a significant impact, both on an international level (look at how many Luxembourgish politicians have had influential roles in EU institutions), and on the residing population of Luxembourg – as we can see with the housing crisis, for example.

Due to the small size of the country – both in terms of area and population – it sometimes seems to be a living laboratory, where policies and political practices can be “tested” on a small scale. For some of its projects, it may even be considered a role model for other countries, and this label seems to be well-earned in some cases. For instance, the introduction of free public transport was a pioneering project of the current government.

WE, THE VOTERS

By Leonie Guskowski

Also, the proximity to political elites is sometimes highlighted –and yes, compared to what we are familiar with in other countries, the leading political heads of Luxembourg do seem much more approachable. You may run into a minister in your local supermarket or when visiting an exhibition in a museum.

Yet, there is one major problem that is standing in the way of Luxembourg truly acting as a model democratic country for the future: The question of whether a democratic deficit exists has been discussed in numerous debates over the last decade.

Hence, even though foreigners residing both within and outside the Grand-Duchy’s territory play a critical role in producing the country’s wealth (at least in terms of GDP growth), politics are often made in favour of the few Luxembourgish voters. This leads yet to another representation challenge which we, as students and youth, should be aware of: The demographic profile of these few voters. Even though there are more under-30-year olds than people 60 years and over in Luxembourg, the youth is not adequately represented in the electorate. The major issues of our times may be central to the parties’ campaigns, including matters such as housing, the climate crisis or education. The proposed solutions will likely focus on the perspectives of elderly, Luxembourgish citizens. Which is understandable as the parties will need to convince this group in order to win mandates.

PRETTY BLEAK PROSPECTS FOR US YOUNG FOLKS, RIGHT?

Well, since many of us students are foreigners, yes – there is not much we can do with regard to the parliamentary elections. But there is also good news: Last year, the election law was amended, now allowing all foreigners to vote in municipal elections. Through the abolition of the five-year residence clause for foreigners, this will be the first time that many of us – being foreign students – will have the opportunity to voice our concerns in our municipalities. And even though local politics in the commune may not be exactly the same as getting to have a say on a national level where, for example, legislations are adopted, I do think we should not underestimate the meaning of our voices in the municipal elections on 11 June 2023.

First of all, municipalities often have relatively high autonomy to decide and plan on local matters such as housing, culture, or transport. Second, local and national politics are closely intertwined in the country. In fact, many of the municipalities’ mayors currently have double mandates, meaning that they are both mayor AND parliamentarians. It therefore is reason able to assume that local concerns are also passed on to parliament (directly or indi rectly).

Strategically, the parties and candidates may rely on the elderly, Luxembourgish electorate to maintain their strength in the upcoming legislative period, both on the national and the local level. That is also why many parties will likely not actively address the interests of foreigners or youth in their campaigns. Nonetheless, by being granted the right to register to vote in the municipal elections, we have a chance to actively influence politics in our local communities, and to ensure that Luxembourg’s diverse voices are heard in the political sphere. Let’s not waste that opportunity!

Registering to vote is easy: The website icanvote.lu gives answers to many questions about the registration and voting procedure. Registration is possible either online, if you have access to Guichet.lu, or in your local commune until the 55th day before the elections (i.e., 17 April 2023).

LIGHT AGAINST DARKNESS: The Celebration Of Nowruz

by Eleni Mouzakiti

Aida, Najmeh & Shohreh, three Iranian women discuss Nowruz, the celebration of the new year, its symbolism and its special meaning in a year of difficult circumstances for the Iranian people.

So what is Nowruz?

According to the Persian Solar calendar, on the 20th of March, the beginning of Spring also signifies the beginning of a new year and the weeks around that are full of different preparations and celebrations in which women hold a central role. From “shaking” their house clean to the preparation of the ceremonial table known as Haftsin, women traditionally have been the ones to prepare their homes and families for the eve of a new year and the passage to a better time. For thirteen days the celebrations continue and end with the families spending the 1st of April in nature to honour the connection of their hard labour and efforts to the natural elements and the world around them.

Chaharshanbe Suri The fire jumping celebration

On the last Wednesday of the year according to the Solar Calendar, the Chaharshanbe Suri takes place. Both Najmeh and Shohreh talk excitedly about it. “Fires are set around for everyone to jump and it is one of our most fun activities of the festival”. Rooted in their ancient culture, Chaharshanbe Suri symbolises the burning of evil and the start of a new year with no bad luck. Fire has been since ancient times a purifying element that never gets polluted and has been used in every major celebration.

The role of women

The participation of women in the preparation of the festival is vital, Aida says. At the heart of a time of rebirth, light and new beginnings, women take a central role according to tradition. As protectors and caregivers of their families they host celebrations and actively try to get rid of any bad luck or pain of the past, from the cleaning of their house to the preparation of the ceremonies.

However, as Shohreh mentions, the experience of celebrating away from their families for such an important passage of the year comes with difficulties. Missing home and thinking of their loved ones does not hold them back though. They find a way even here in Luxembourg to engage with the spirit of the celebrations and honour their beautiful traditions with their own ceremonies with friends and acquaintances they met here.

However, despite its roots going back thousands of years, the existence of Nowruz and the right to celebrate it have been threatened in the past for multiple reasons. Nevertheless, the need and love of people for this celebration and its meaning have kept it alive and protected until today.

The winning of light against darkness, and the discarding of anything bad and harmful that has tormented people in their past have forever been relevant in the hearts of people, making Nowruz celebrations in our days more important than ever.

Hope for the new year

This year, the festival will come in a time that is difficult for many families, and so one might wonder how this holiday could be celebrated by families and people that have struggled. However, Aida, Najmeh & Shohreh, all agreed on one thing. In difficult times such celebration holds great importance not only to uplift the spirit of people but also for the symbolism it holds. “In my talks with my friends and their families back home but also around the world, everyone tells me that they want to celebrate to honour the passage to a better year that will bring hope”, Najmeh said. For that reason, this year too, all three of them deem it important to celebrate and enjoy the occasion, even here in Luxembourg, so far from their home.

It is in dark times that the symbolism of Nowruz shines the brightest, reminding everyone that even after the hardest of periods and challenges a new better year will begin for everyone. A year of good fortune, full of peace and hope that will leave behind the bad luck and anything polluted. Slowly but surely spring will come, as it comes every year, bringing beauty, hope and many more smiles for everyone.

Writer’s note: I would like to thank these three lovely women, Aida, Najmeh and Shohreh for accepting my invitation for an interview and opening up to me about their culture and history.

DEALING WITH

by Zornitsa Doleva

Do you consider yourself competitive? Do you tend to develop an attachment to your university work? Do you find academic achievement personally significant? No matter your answer to any of these questions, failure always stings. It is difficult to deal with at any point in your university experience and that is especially true if your answer is positive to any of the above questions. Academic success is commonly seen as directly influential to your future, connected to plans and projects. Success is also often closely associated with one’s sense of self-worth and self-esteem. In an academic environment, we tend to compare ourselves to peers in the field, forge expectations that are often unrealistic and lose ourselves in the pursuit of good grades and praise.

All of this could have a direct impact on our personal self-perception and trajectory in life. Not doing as well as you wish or as you would expect could often feel deeply personal and even painful. Regardless if you consider yourself a high achiever or simply, somebody that needs to graduate, the notions of failure and success are still constitutive of your academic experience. In this article, I would like to give some personal, hard-earned advice on the uncomfortable reality of academic failure.

1. Navigating a new environment is always difficult.

Stepping into a new university often entails new rules and plenty of new ways assignments are evaluated and graded. Often the professors at the new place are looking for different things compared to your educators in the past. This is specifically true if you are coming to university from high school where the rules and expectations are completely different. And the differences become particularly significant If you come from a different country and cultural background. My first piece of advice is that faced with the reality of failure, you should forgive yourself for the ignorance of not being sure how to navigate a new system of evaluation and education. A time will come when all will become much clearer. Having trouble understanding new subjects and ways of learning is normal and sometimes takes time. And the bumps along the way are a part of the experience.

ACADEMIC FAILURE

2. Forgive yourself if you are not at your best.

Sometimes life becomes more overwhelming than one can take, and this could reflect on your academic achievement. Regardless of the circumstances, we’ve all been in a position where our state of mind has prevented us from doing our best at an assignment or an exam. When this happens, I would advise practising being gentle with yourself. We are not always ready to give 100% and it is not realistic to expect perfection from ourselves all the time. Sometimes studying should take a back seat on your list of priorities, so you can take care of yourself and be better in the future. That might mean leaving the pressing exam for another semester, talking to a professor about rescheduling an assignment or simply taking it easier for some time. Think of it as an investment.

3. Sometimes success is completely out of your control.

It might seem counter-intuitive, but there are times when even if you do everything right you still don’t achieve the success you expected. Times when you followed all the rules, worked hard and spent precious energy, time and imagination. The truth is that sometimes it is not up to you, and it is simply not your fault. Sometimes the professor just sees the situation differently and is determined to give you that low grade regardless of your skills or effort. Un fortunately, these things do happen and when they do, it is important to keep in mind that even if you do everything correctly there might be factors that prevent you from being as successful as you want. In that case, the best course of action is not to take it personally, remain confident in your abilities and move on.

4. Don’t take it too seriously or if you must, take it as a lesson.

Following the last two points, it is important to keep in mind that most of the time, it’s not even that deep. Sometimes failure is just part of the process. And this small setback won’t even matter in the long run. Different circumstances might prevent you from being your best and that is okay. Failure in life will come no matter what, it is a natural aspect of any endeavour and it’s important to treat yourself with kindness in these moments, regardless of how much the potential success matters to you. A simple truth about failure is that it’s inevitable and the great thing about it is that it is a very good teacher. It teaches you things about life and yourself that success never could. Embracing failure and using it as a building block for your future is a sign of maturity and personal growth.

5. Sometimes you are wasting energy on something that is simply not for you.

And finally, there are times when the lack of success is a sneaky indication of a lack of true motivation and passion on your side. If you feel like your current choice of academic discipline does not truly motivate you enough to give your best, consider changing your course. Reconsidering your specialization, your major or your future in the university, in general, could feel scary and even impossible, but is often the healthier thing to do. Especially if your final goal is self-actualization and fulfilment. It is okay to rethink your decisions and it is only natural to fail at things which don’t spark your interest and are not a good fit for you. Making the decision to change your path in life is a sign that you have understood something about yourself and, while knowing yourself better, your chances for future success will greatly increase.

On February 20th 2023 the bands Katatonia, Solstafir and supporting act SOM played in the Rockhal as a part of their joint international tour in our wellknown Belval. On that evening two Roux reporters had the pleasure of attending the show. The Rockhall is one of the main concert venues in Luxembourg, it has housed plenty of great shows in the past and its program for this year looks even more promising. With acts from all corners of the music scene, the venue is already established as a great hub for music lovers. I would recommend our readers check out their website for future shows.

(https://rockhal.lu/ )

The Rockhal is definitely one of the more modern venues that I have recently been to. From the led monitors informing the guest of the playing acts to the beer kiosk in the centre of the entrance hall, the atmosphere is vaguely reminiscent of a movie theatre. Something different, but not unwelcome. The concert took place on the smaller stage, which was a good fit for accommodating a show of such calibre. The quality of sound and lighting was also not disappointing.

A FEELING OF COLD, BUT SWEET

WORLD

Both headliners of the evening are very big bands with massive fanbases in the contemporary Heavy music scene. This usually means that the crowd of attendees could be very diverse, and this was precisely the case for this concert. Ranging from

KATATONIA AND SOLSTAFIR

By Zornitsa

Doleva with valuable input from our photographer Phillip

devoted metalheads to more casual listeners, people that are new to the scene and ones that are seasoned concertgoers, a good, pleasant mix of all, a great occasion for mingling. And of course, as is the case for many events in Luxembourg, people from many different countries and nationalities could be spotted, fans local and international alike.

Unfortunately, some unforeseen circumstances prevented our Roux reporters from getting in time for the first band, the support act SOM, so with great regret and apologies to them, this review will only focus on the two headlining main acts: Solstafir and Katatonia.

One of the main reasons why I expressed an interest in attending the concert in the first place, is my love for the first headlining act of this evening, the band

Solstafir. And they did not disappoint.

Self-described as coming from the land of cold and ice, this Icelandic music act is famous for their unique melancholic atmosphere. With a music style, one could describe as a bridge between post-rock and black metal coloured by a distinctly Icelandic ambience. Their show was one Luxembourgish fans would cherish for a long time, I’m sure of that. Very atmospheric, epic but also deeply emotional, were some of the impressions I heard from other fans. In addition to the great music, It was also a great sight to see such a big band interact so closely with the fans, creating a feeling of intimacy between musicians and audience. Frontman Aðalbjörn “Addi” Tryggvason talked to the crowd as if all of us were old friends, asking us which song we wanted to hear and even got off the stage to sing face-to-face with the

MELANCHOLY. A TRULY MAGICAL SHOW... IF YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES WHILE THE MUSIC IS PLAYING, IT GETS YOU INTO ANOTHER

Swedish legends Katatonia. A seasoned band with more than 30 years of experience. They have roots in the Swedish death metal scene, but their current style could be described as Gothic/Progressive and alternative.

IN LUXEMBOURG

front rowers.

Solstafir played a mix of songs from their newest album and established fan-loved tracks. Their playfulness and connection with the audience did not take away from a top-quality musical performance and technical proficiency. All of these factors contributed to the band’s ability to capture live the very distinct feeling that their music invokes on record. A feeling of cold, but sweet melancholy. A truly magical show. As our photographer, Phil put it “If you close your eyes while the music is playing, it gets you into another world.”

Even after their part of the show was over, during the interval between the two main acts, you could see the frontman mingling with fans near the merch kiosk chatting, taking photos and signing autographs. A sign of love and respect for the fans. The second headliners of the evening were the

They had a solid presence on stage. With a considerably heavier approach, they played a show one could describe as more traditionally metal, with an energy that could easily be fit for a big stadium. A performance expertly toeing the tight line between the dark and gothic and heavy and energetic aspects of their music. Enriched by the beautiful vocal performance from frontman Jonas Renkse. Of course, with plenty of good occasions for passionate sing-alongs and headbanging. Naturally, during the show, you could see people singing the lyrics to every song, banging their heads in delight and even dancing around. An age-old testament, self-evident proof for a great concert. Something about that atmosphere evoked a sense of nostalgia in me, reminding me of the first concerts I ever attended with my dad when I was still a baby metalhead.

With Katatonia, there is no mistake that they are an experienced band with plenty of years in the scene. Professional and just a good-old metal show. And as a final delight to the fans, after the end of their setlist, they played two additional songs. A gesture that is always greatly appreciated by devoted and casual fans alike. Overall, a good evening and a great experience.

Have you ever wandered along a popular city square or main park and spotted a seemingly random ancient phone booth or narrow shelf containing books, and thought: What’s up with that? You’re in luck because you just spotted hours of entertainment for free!

Luxembourgers call one of those beauties Bicherbox or Bicherschaf. Personally I started noticing them in my late teens, around the end of the 2010s, but they’ve since spread like wildfire. Being an avid reader and enamoured book lover, I felt compelled to bring their existence and benefits to your attention.

The idea sparked from an art project from the 1990s by American artist Michael Clegg and Martin Guttmann, who wanted to bring art out of museums onto the street and into the public eye. In 1996 Michael Ibsen recreated that idea in Germany by utilising old electrical boxes on the streets. However, the interior architect Trixy Royeck truly popularised the project in 2002 and won a country-wide competition. Regionally the innovative book nooks were a hit and spread to neighbouring countries. In Luxembourg the Escher initiative Freed

Bicherboxen and Bicherschaf

by Cristina Sobral

um Liesen (joyful reading) installed the first box in 2012 and named it Den Escher Bicherschaf.

The boxes are quite popular with Luxembourgers and are usually maintained by the government. I’ll give you a short run through how they work: Open box; choose a book (or more); take out said book; take it home; read it; love it, keep it and replace it; or hate it, and return it. Simple right? But there are quite a few more benefits to them! Interested readers don’t need an account to check out any books and can do so at every time of the day. There is also no deadline for the return or limit on how many books you can check out at once. It allows for a more egalitarian literary landscape since borrowing or keeping the book is essentially free of charge. In general, it’s also a great space to donate personal books that you might have fallen out of love with but think others might enjoy, since donating to libraries is quite complicated. But it also allows communities to repurpose and give new life to old telephone booths – it’s all about upcycling and being user and environmentally friendly! (Instagram handle?)

For those who haven’t found a Bicherbox near you, you might be interested in checking out the Bicherbus with a similar principle, but one does need an account for. If you’re a local of Belval, you can even visit the café Dalmat in front of the LLC where they too offer a comparable book exchange and loan system!

If you’re now itching to experience a Bicherbox by yourself, be prepared to encounter countless books from all languages and genres! Unsurprisingly the main languages encountered are French and English but occasionally I also stumble upon Spanish, Polish or even Portuguese. There are also countless non-fictional books, as well as numerous novels by mainstream authors from the fictional, romantic or fantasy genres.

If you’re interested in checking out whether there is a Bicherbox near you, here is one possible resources:

Lastly, I’d like to leave you readers with a short impression of mine on one of my favourite books I rescued from a Bicherschaf.

The Hate U Give tells, in my opinion the important and powerful perspective of a black community regarding racial policing/injustice (precisely in North America). Star and her family were quite impressive to me: They (or at least one of them) have faced almost every struggle a person can, and still managed to overcome all of it.

I haven’t read many books on racial inequality or injustice yet, but I truly feel like this one is important and a good starting point. Angie Thomas precisely highlights the confrontations black individuals face, while keeping the story going with a plot, engaging the reader. Star’s and her friends’ stories were gripping and incredibly important to talk/read about. Black citizens continually face discrimination or aggressions based on their skin colour. This novel truly shook me awake in a certain way.

Fire Walk With Me

by Kristina Shatokhina

Dearest friend,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. I am sending you the following extracts from my diaries and notes as, at the very least, a promised supplement to our last conversation. I hope your still unshaken confidence in my sanity and competence will remain the same after diving into this stream of memories – memories of the morally exhausted man which I have become (or, perhaps, I have been for a long, long time).

I. Victorian Ghosts. (one year ago on the very day my house was burnt to the ground)

In the hallway the housekeeper greeted me with an anxious “Bonsoir, monsieur. Mademoiselle is waiting for you in the study”. Night had long since fallen on London, and Victorian ghosts wandered the dark streets of the city, coming down to the Thames, begging for their curses to be broken.

I sensed danger as soon as I crossed the threshold of the library; the door was open and a faint light illuminated the room, faint shadows trembling on the bookshelves.

– You are late, Doc.

She was sitting at the piano in a white lace dress, like an angel woven from a web of dreams, playing Chopin languidly.

– I am sad, Doc. I am sick! I am sad: I’ve found no one with a heart like mine.

– Miss, I am no longer your doctor. I am no one’s doctor at all. She knows, she knows everything – she laughs, and her laughter spins the air molecules in a dance of a deathly agony.

Her skin is white porcelain, an expensive tea set carefully wrapped in satin. She smiles nervously, clasping her hands – she falls senseless on the sofa, revealing herself to the vicious, soulful half-light in a holy crucifixion: how can you ever be free when you have a body?

The entropy of an isolated system can only increase (!)

Like everything beautiful, she is almost dead.

I reach for the bell to summon the housekeeper: it would have been better to put the matter in Mrs. Maurier’s trusty hands – it would have been safer. For the both of us. Suddenly, Maddeline rises her right palm to her forehead and whispers: “He’s coming for me, he’s coming for me, he’s coming for me”.

“Not this again”,– I thought,–“we’ve been over this”.

– He’s coming for me – as soon as I close my eyes, as soon as I fall asleep, I see him again. He has poisoned every bit of my dreams, turned them into the most dreadful nightmares. He likes… to play with me. He likes torturing me. He laughs, trying to see how much more I can take. “Oh, my little girl”,– he says with this sweet tenderness, “my lovely daughter”… He says it as if I have a choice, as if there has ever been a choice. Yet we both know I’m stuck here – with his hands around my throat and his voice in my head:

What a nuisance! It is slowly burning, smouldering, fuelling something far greater than this wounded jeune fille – a wicked, insatiable parasite inside her head has constructed a scaffold at the very bottom of her consciousness. She fearlessly descends – down, down, down – she is about to drown, black waters filling her lungs and blinding her sad green eyes. She is poisoned, she herself is the most artful poison, for the more she suffers, the more I long for her.

Yes, I loved her. But what good are the tenderest feelings if they are powerless against the face of Evil? I loved her, and I watched her die in silence. I loved her, but love always loses.

II. We are all madmen here. (from the notes of the time of my internship in the asylum)

– I hate it when the cold water cuts through my chest. It hurts! You hurt my body, wound my skin with frost, but we both know you can’t exile The Fire from my head. I am a good girl, I promise – I am a good girl. I never meant any harm! Don’t torture me!

– Who’s coming for you, Maddeline?

– The Fire!

“My child, let me kiss you”

“Let me show you what true beauty is like”

“Let me burn your skin, let me slit your throat”

“I am the only God you deserve”

Nobody’s torturing you, Maddeline. We’re only trying to help you, while you’re not going along with it at all.

I walked slowly towards the bed where the girl was sitting – she jumped up, cowering in the nearest corner. There was something wrong about this ghostly, unkempt teenager, something hidden in those thin features – a postmortem mask framed by the tangled brown curls. A thing elusive, unnatural lurking at the very silhouette of her tormented body.

Closer, closer, closer – it whispered. See me, kiss me, free me, obey me – it whispered. She killed a man – I reminded myself.

– No, Doctor, you can’t help me: what you’re trying to do to me is not working. Yes, you are powerless. You’re just like my mother,– Maddy sounded disappointed, bony fingers nervously tugging the hem of the hospital gown. Her red swollen eyes darted into the walls of the isolation room as if she was staring through them, failing to drown out an intrusive hum of resurrected memories; prayers and pinks, scarlet marks of holy repentance – on her face, on her shoulders, on her back, on her thighs...

“You’re a sinful girl, Maddeline Meyers. There’s a place in Hell prepared for you – the Devil has already built a fire. Wretched girl, your foolish pranks will do you no good! You must repent, though I am sure God is not listening to your prayers”

Maddeline lifted her eyes – sparks of curiosity flashed on the surface of their dark sea.

– You don’t think me sinful, do you? At least you love me,– she crawled closer and stood up, ready to wrap her clingy little arms around my neck, yet when I answered the embrace she pushed away.

– Ah! What do you want, Doc!

You know what I want – go ahead and cry, little creature. No one can compare to you in this. I touch her hair. I am tired, and I can hardly control myself. I can hardly control myself and she knows it – knows it more than anyone else.

I run her through my skin like a drug. I pass her through my skin as she resonates at every touch, luminescing in the moonlight.

– Are you afraid of me, Maddeline?

– The heroes from my fairytales have fought hideous demons with eyes as red as burning coals. Your eyes are red too.

But are not they red with tears?

I kiss her puckered lips – scarlet with blood –breathing in a strangled sigh. I hate myself for leaving her no other choice. I hate her for not resisting.

III. All lovers are murderers. (our last sensible, if you can call it that, dialogue)

– We had fun together, didn’t we, Doc?

– Did we?

She rose from the sofa and straightened the folds of her dress, her face lit up with serious determination.

– And yet, I was always yours, my love. Remember when those men came to the asylum, stupid, awful men from Scotland Yard – with their obnoxious questions and photographs of little girls. Oh, their utterly indecent theories about you! Ridiculous! I would have never betrayed you. And I helped you a lot then, didn’t I? Now you shall help me...

“Wicked, wicked, wicked child”

I could not hold back a smirk; I still refused to believe that she was here again, that everything in the world was looped, endless, that I would let her manipulate me again without making the slightest attempt to fight back.

– What is it this time? Do I have to kill the evil monster?

– Yes. Kill me.

To kill her? Ah, wasn’t that what I longed for – at times more than to be gifted with her kiss –yes, to kill her would be the sweetest of all forbidden fruits, the most desirable of curses. I had spent years trying to forget the smell of the lace on her collar – longing for the thought of saving the world from her vile parasitic self, from all the troubles that her appearance threatened any godly place.

Did I love her? Oh, I sure did.

– If you wish.

The lace slid down, baring her white bruised shoulders. I breathed in their intoxicating scent again.

IV. Fire

– I am sorry, Doc. I am really, really, really sorry. I just wanted to be a good girl... for all of us. Ah, it hurts!

I cannot say for certain what caught fire first: the sofa, the tapestries, the Persian rug I hated, or that stupid Baudelaire book I had carelessly left by the fireplace (as stated in the Scotland Yard report). What I saw for sure: her eyes were burning. Her hair, her lace, all burned in hellfire – and there I laid, unable to take my eyes off her. You see, I was too weak to kill her first, to put her out of her misery – and Lord knows she was the strong one, since she had kept it in her for eighteen years, shutting herself from the world, wounding herself from within. My poor Maddeline, my beloved monster – where is she now? Yes, I was too weak to kill her, to save her – now my love will never reach Heaven, never find her peace because of me!

And yet I will say, I remember clearly: she was the first to ignite, trembling with fear in my arms. But no one would have believed it, wouldn’t they? And if you still do not, my friend, think of that terrifying burn-scar on my chest, on the left, where the heart is: the scarlet imprint of her dainty hand.

London, 1905

Oil on paper on canvas

Overall dimensions: 20.3 x 27.3 cm (8 x 10 3/4 inches)

Art as Therapy is a joint publication between Alain de Botton and John Armstrong, initially published in 2012, looking at how art can be used as therapy (a tool) in our ever-growing society. In 2023, this literary marvel can easily be interpreted as a self-help guide and this interpretation needs to be forgiven, in our liberal society. These types of books are frequently found in our society today on our bookshelves, coffee tables and the powder rooms of Luxembourg City. But from the very beginning the book lightly hints at a somewhat elevated and twisted purpose, so readers hypothetically, would know what to expect.

THE THEME OF ALAIN DE BOTTON’S AND JOHN

ARMSTRONG’S

ART AS THERAPY – EDUCATION?

John Constable - Cloud Study: Stormy Sunset, 1821-22

The book begins with an introduction titled ‘What is Art for?’ and ‘Art as a tool.’ Observing the five main chapters, consisting of Methodology, Love, Nature, Money, and Politics, these chapters and their subsections, suggests how art can be used. However, at the same time, this publication could be viewed as biased and classist, in its approach to life by showing favouritism, while still helping viewers understand artwork properly. Notwithstanding, it is evident from the author’s tone that art requires some level of education. This can be found in the realm of culture or through reading specific publications. Because the book tries to sugar coat this fact, it cannot help but argue that art without formal education is inaccessible. Nonetheless, by understanding and valuing art through reading this publication, we can gain a greater appreciation for the beauty and power of creativity.

Beginning with a brief explanation of what art is and why it matters, the authors compared art to be one of the few things that offer us an understanding of the meaning of life. For instance, we have dedicated places for fine arts all over the world. Although, despite this apparent globalisation of art pieces, they failed to mention that these same pieces are often displayed in various locations around the globe - something which is necessary given today’s stressed-out society. For instance, even though John Constables’ series of cloud paintings 1844 ‘Cloud Studies’ can be experienced worldwide, it is not always well received because audiences may not be adequately educated about how to experience and appreciate the work. This indicates that education is needed to understand art properly. Obviously, this series of paintings by an accomplished artist will be popular due to its quality or appeal, rather than based on any intrinsic value.

Artistic expression is often not afraid to engage in divisive activities such as rejecting the purpose of art, also known as ‘art for art’s sake’. This argument holds that art should be based on its own intrinsic value and has no inherent meaning or purpose. It is viewed as a naive outlook since it disregards the possibility that art might have been created for reasons other than aesthetics. This reasoning, however, can be seen as acceptable because it allows an artwork to exist on its own terms and fulfil its intended function. The value may vary depending on the culture and background of the individual audience member. Still, the book precariously implies that value is something which is universally understandable –only made possible because of education.

Art is often seen as a tool with two purposes: achieving an intended goal and providing growth opportunities for the artist. The term ‘tool’ implies that art has a purpose, which was mentioned previously. On the other hand, viewing art as a medium suggests that it can serve many needs beyond its original intention. This includes being enjoyed by viewers and artists alike; this means everyone involved experiences value from it in some way or another. Most importantly though, this idea of art continuing to grow after creation helps us understand our capability to grow even further through engaging with creative pieces like paintings or sculptures.

The authors of this book suggest that to appreciate art, one must be educated about its many possibilities and the ways it can enrich both the viewer and the artist. This book may serve as a way for everyone to understand how art can have an impact regardless of prior knowledge. Even though the book’s theme may possibly be problematic, I strongly encourage readers to take the plunge and see if education is truly needed to value art.

by Jo Yi Hoon

BEYOND THIS WINDOW FRAME, A PHANTASMAGORIC TABLEAU UNFOLDS. AND WHATNOT.

Published by Mason Lindroth in the year of 2015, Hylics is a game created in RPG Maker. At first glance, it really seems to be just that. However, Hylics is special. Very much so. While it surely is a game in which you simply push buttons to control a character’s actions, it is also an experience. An artistic experience, at that; undeniably so, regardless of what feeling it might leave you with after completion. For most, it’s confusion. For some, it’s satisfaction. For me, it’s inspiration.

The most striking feature of Hylics is undoubtedly its visual appearance. That being said, it may not come as a surprise that Hylics is frequently shrugged off as a simulation for what it’s like to take recreational drugs. An LSD simulator of some kind, if you will. Some reviews go as far as to claim that Hylics is nothing but a short, visual representation of what it’s like to be under the influence. Fair enough. But we already have a game with the proud title LSD: Dream Emulator, released for the PlayStation. And this one dates as far back as 1998. This means that that sort of title cannot be given to Hylics after all. So, where do we place Hylics then? Sure, on the surface, it may seem like Lindroth has tried to make a game that looks and feels like microwaving your brain. Which leads to the question: What the fuck is Hylics all about anyway?

It must be said that deciphering Hylics is like deciphering a 5 year old’s crayon painting, that’s pinned to the fridge. A lot of it is nonsensical, abstract and far from human comprehension, yet it is also unquestionably personal.

Hylics follows a yellow guy named Wayne with a crescent-shaped head. He sports a black leather jacket and golly! – does he have a lot of cockroaches in his bathroom! But that’s not all. With an obtainable warm burrito in his toilet (the other ones you stumble upon mid-game are often frozen), and an equally yellow cat in his living room, Wayne begins his adventure by… leaving the house. Throughout the game you’ll encounter several NPCs (who speak in randomly generated text), juice boxes, enemies and – most notably – Wayne’s friends, who become helpful party members. And what other

great activities can be done with friends, other than… that’s right, killing the fucking moon. To be more precise, killing the moon-tyrant Gibby. But do not get the wrong idea; in the world of Hylics, overthrowing a tyrant is anything but an epic tale of bloodshed and misery. Instead, it’s more of a relaxing vacation. To kill the moon, that is. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The party consists of four beings in total; Wayne, Dedusmuln, Somsnosa and Pongorma. Dedusmuln, cheerful and enthusiastic in their behaviour, is an archaeologist that is most fascinated by paper cups and water coolers. They’re artefacts, after all. Somsnosa is a blue humanoid, who can extract power from bugs. She’s pretty good at that. Lastly, Pongorma is a humanoid knight, who can be found in a vault, waiting for somebody to finally fight him. Oh, and did I mention that the characters are also a band, sort of? That’s nice.

Between exploration and some turn-based combat encounters, there’s not much more to do gameplay-wise. Interestingly, dying in the game is more of a reward, than a punishment. Upon death, Wayne’s crew will be transported to the Afterlife. It has a couch, talking fish and, of course, a water cooler. Most remarkably though, it also has a meat grinder. For what, you ask?

To grind the meat you’ve collected from enemies and convert it into flesh. The flesh is the value of health each character has, ergo the health bar. Essentially, that means that the more enemies you kill, the more meat you find, the more meat you grind, the more flesh you’ll acquire, the stronger Wayne’s party becomes. Seems about right. Later in Hylics 2, the currency of the game is represented by bones –another morbid, yet amusing item. The fact that corporeal elements of the human body serve as practical tools in this game, strongly supports the theory that Hylics might represent a world that is post-human. Post-apocalyptic. Hear me out.

boxes are so valuable to improve your party’s health. Because those tiny items have survived the test of time. Did we, human beings, though? Absolutely not. It is this interpretation, which might help us, the players, understand why Hylics seems so nonsensical to us. Because it’s not about us.

Visually, Hylics is a feast for the senses. It has often been described as an interactive album cover, and for good reason. This game excels in the visual department, more so than any other game does. The digitalized clay textures and pastel colour schemes not only catch your attention, but also keep you glued to the screen, absorbing the eye candy like a sponge. Lindroth fabricates abstract, hypnotic shapes that spring from a dreamy,

„HYLICS SEEMS TO

Hylics offers insight into a world that has outgrown humanity. Only leftovers of human physi- cality prove as useful. Even the inhabitants of the world only faintly resemble hu- mans; Wayne and Somsnosa seem most human corpo- reality-wise, therefore their designs are most compre- hensible to the player. On the other hand, Dedusmuln and Pongorma appear as more abstract, further away from what we view as humanly comprehensible. And because Hylics’ world is post-human, the fascination towards small, human remains persists. This could explain why an item, such as the paper cup, is regarded as an artefact and why juice

rich imagination. Every hand animation in-battle, every step of a character, accompanied by a mesmerising soundtrack, create dazzling and often humorously charming images.

Furthermore, Lindroth is capable of creating vast, surreal environments and memorable character designs and animations. His recent production snippets on his social media channels are even better proof of that. The designs and personalities of the characters are simultaneously distinct and memorable, yet also vague enough, to leave room for the player’s interpretation. Though that might be unintentional, it still is

an immensely difficult paradox to achieve. Moreover, it is remarkable how Lindroth manages to combine contrasts between bubbly and bright moments mid-game and uncanny, ambient instances. While the sections City and House evoke a sense of psychedelic joy and relaxation, the Hall of Deadly Statues establishes a rather melancholic, if not dreadful atmosphere. This also counts for Hylics 2’s sections Waynehouse and New Muldul, and TV Island and Sage’s Labyrinth. The successful combination of these contrasting ambiences is what makes this clay-world all the richer. And it only goes up from here: Hylics built a fertile ground for the fruits of its sequel, in which the transition from a 2D environment to a 3D one makes all of Lindroth’s creations stand out even more. With the help of Chuck Salamone’s

It is peculiar and curious, bright and frightening, fascinating to some and somewhat disturbing to many. But overall it’s personal. Every nook and cranny of this work is oozing with personality and leaking with dedication and love towards artistic expression. It’s sentimental – in my eyes at least. Lindroth’s project does not require a bigger premise than “If you hate the moon, I guess.” in order to be inspiring. And damn, how inspiring that is.

by Sofia Miller

SEEMS SO NON-SENSICAL US, BECAUSE IT’S NOT ABOUT US.”

musical expertise, Hylics’ sequel is nothing short of an atmospheric gem. But that’s a topic for another time.

I cannot stress enough how big the impor tance of games such as Hylics (and RPG Maker Games in general) is. Hylics may just be one of the million games on the market, but its significance for the art world is enormous. And to me personally, it’s one of, if not the most inspiring projects out there. In an age where the heavy influence of capitalism on art creates more harmful hegemony than variety, Hylics still dares to be its own thing.

AI and Art: A Multiplica Review

by Kieran Salt

Have you ever been serenaded by a motion sensor? Had your portrait drawn by robots? Or listened to the songs made by neurons firing as people kiss? Last month we here at ROUX worked with Rotondes to promote their Multiplica festival, and during my brief visit I experienced all this and more.

The main theme of the exhibition was to rethink the interplay between human beings and artificial intelligence, and the way each side of this interplay feeds into the other – mapping out cycles of affect and effect, then blurring the lines between them more and more.

The first exhibit I met with was by far the oldest, having been made in the artists garage back in 2016 and was in stark contrast with the complexity of the rest. A small speaker attached to a rotating stand

that crooned soulfully whenever it sensed someone stood nearby. After watching and listening to it for a short while a personality emerged from within the system – as simple as it was. Even though there was no interaction with it on my part other than simply proximity, I couldn’t help chuckling and, somewhat without realising, giving it a little wave goodbye as I left.

The second installation involved some facial recognition software; a program that responded to your expression and attempted to gauge your emotions from a series of four or five pre-sets and played music to you based on the emotions it read on your face to try to influence your mood. While it was a sophisticated piece that called into question the order of influence between human and AI by placing you in a feedback loop, it didn’t quite possess the simple charm of that plucky little siren.

The next two pieces were both short films that raised questions about how we can and should relate to the perceived humanity of AIs in general. The first of

which was a mesmerising “dialogue” between a man and a robot programmed to mirror his movements and sounds. The conversational aspect was a tad bizarre as the mechanical voice emanating from the silicon coated “face” was especially uncanny. The interplay between the very real hands of the man in the film and his mechanical counterpart was fascinating. If it wasn’t for the, perhaps deliberately, off-white, untextured, hands of the robotic arms I would have been hard pressed to notice a difference.

The other film, voiced by a child, discussed the limitations of human imagination and how this might limit the scope of AI entirely, drawing on themes discussed by philosopher Thomas Nagel in his essay “what is it like to be a bat?”

Turning the corner from there, there were two chairs positioned side by side and angled so the participants would be face to face, creating an intimate scenario. The participants wore headsets with electrodes that somehow interpreted brainwaves and relayed them as an eerie but ultimately melodic soundscape. The idea

was that through this we would not only be able to witness the intimate moment of two people kissing but also that through this soundscape we could also be privy to their inner lives as well.

The final exhibit was the most artistically interesting though perhaps not as thought provoking as the others. Three desks at different angles, with small mechanical arms and cameras attached, facing chair lit by a large studio lamp made up the centre of the piece. Over a period of 15 minutes all three arms would interpret the image fed into them from their respective cameras and draw a portrait from three angles. While the portraits themselves were done in biro and simple enough, watching the machines work was mesmerising and the result was certainly recognisable. On a wall opposite were dozens of sets of portraits all done the same way.

Th exhibition was fascinating and well worth the short trip to the city and back. I left with a renewed feeling of appreciation for the intersection of art and technology and a little less fear and mistrust of AI overall – whether that feeling remains, only time will tell...

© Photography by Eric Engel