Scars

For the song Scars by British music duo Basement Jaxx, artist Jan van Nuenen created a striking video animation in 2009. The work, which opened every show on their European tour, depicts an idyllic forest gradually overtaken by terrifying, all-consuming insects in vivid colors. Van Nuenen’s signature style — rhythmic animations that build toward increasing chaos — is powerfully expressed in this video clip.

The animation was painstakingly constructed through a long process of digital image manipulation and musical composition. The result is both mesmerizing and unsettling. Scars demonstrates how audiovisual art and pop music can amplify each other to create an immersive live experience.

Mothership oversaw the production and project management. The project was produced on behalf of Basement Jaxx and Fourth Floor Music.