Justus de Rode

Very very excited to introduce Katabasis (2026), my first video work, premiering at @photolondonfair next week.

Katabasis (2026, single channel 4K video, 5:35 min loop) is part of the larger body of work Heaving Stone, Winged Dream (2026), drawing on the cave as a living archive in response to ambiguous loss. Rooted in both archaeological and classical reference, the work follows a descent into and out of a cave in futile search of reunion. The cave seems alive, emerging and retreating in slow succession, breathing. Moving between weight and release, presence and absence, the familiar briefly surfaces and retreats again in a cycle without closure. Field recordings from the cave form the basis of the soundscape, developed in collaboration with sound designer NAKANO BLU (@nakanoblu ).

Katabasis will be screening next week at the new video section of @photolondonfair

14 - 17 may
Preview day on 13 May
Screening Room
Ground Floor, National Hall, Olympia, London (UK)

A big thank you to @culturemoveseurope for supporting this project and to @jeanmichelmabrukimussa for assisting me

Slide 1: video still
Slide 2: video fragment