THE FINESSE

video installation by Christopher Kulendran Thomas & Annika Kuhlmann
installation 2022 

2024 - SAFE ZONE, WIELS Brussels

2023 - FOR REAL, Kunsthalle Zürich

2022 - ANOTHER WORLD,
Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), London &
KW Institute for Contemporary Art Berlin

The Finesse is a hybrid art film and video installation, created in collaboration between Christopher Kulendran Thomas and Annika Kuhlmann. The work explores the lost legacies of the Tamil independence movement and serves as the second part of a trilogy following Being Human.

Merging historical archive footage with AI-generated avatars, the piece blurs the line between historical research and speculative science fiction—conjuring up alternative realities. The installation offers new perspectives on art, architecture, and technology, the development of which was interrupted by the defeat of the Tamil de-facto state of Eelam.

Large parts of the film were shot in Sri Lanka. By combining algorithmic processes with documentary footage from Sri Lanka and speculative narration, the work critically examines traditional historical narratives and cultural identities within the context of technological innovation.