studio job’s sculptures add a whimsical touch to mika’s apocalypse calypso music video

mika’s musical journey through studio job’s atelier

Following a decade-long collaboration, international pop artist Mika and Job Smeets present the whimsical music video for Apocalypse Calypso. Following Mika’s performance at the Rugby World Cup Final in Paris, Apocalypse Calypso unfolds as a ‘moving art piece’, featuring significant Studio Job artworks from the mesmerizing welding room to the flaming DAF car. The video was directed by filmmaker Chris Turner, providing viewers with a journey through the atelier’s workshop in the Netherlands. He systematically introduces key design features integrated into the narrative. We see the Giant Crystal Globe, comprised of over half a million Swarovski crystals and which was previously part of the No Place in Heaven Tour, accompanied by unpolished bronze bird wings. The solid Bronze Sofa, a sculptural representation of the late designer Jan des Bouvrie’s iconic Cubic sofa, further shares the frame with various Studio Job bronze works.

from a retro flame car to a grand winged piano

A Pumpkin Lamp from 2014, with handblown googly eyes, offers a touch of whimsy, alongside an unreleased Flame Car. Artist Job Smeets himself perches on his Cadillac Eldorado turned sculpture, the red-trip vehicle that inspired his 2022 American Job show in New York. The New Wing Grand Piano, created for Mika in 2023, stands as an imposing sculpted angel wing instrument. The Welding Room provides a behind-the-scenes look at the artistic process, featuring Lennart Zuydervelt and the rest of the studio’s team members seen welding and adorning Mika from head-to-toe with Job’s trademark papier-mâché finish.

In a moment of reflection, Job Smeets notes: ‘I always wanted to be a pop star, Ziggy Stardust. Mika, to me, is that alter ego. A brother in creation, we have a very special bond that’s very rare, that you can only have with a few friends in your life. Therefore, it’s long-lasting and always inspiring, and it flows by itself; it’s almost an automatic process — it just grows.’ Director Chris Turner, granted access to a selection of Studio Job artworks, recalls his experience, stating, ‘I was given access to a huge selection of beautifully strange artworks to use however I liked.’ From the solid bronze couch — which was so heavy that is required a forklift to be moved — to the glittering globe and papier-mâché finish, Turner acknowledges the collaborative effort that brought the video to life. ‘Combine these with Mika’s inimitable style (check out the suit made from 6000 custom-made mirror tiles) and you have a wonderful set of ingredients to work with,’ he adds.

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project info:

name: Apocalypse Calypso Music Video

artist: Job Smeets | Studio Job, Mika

director: Chris Turner

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