We’ve got news for you: Welcome to our KIKK Festival debrief

The auditorium seating was highlighted blue, with people's faces slightly accentuated by computer screen light. When one looked towards the direction of the stage, the spotlight was on Felipe Sanchez Luna, klingklangklong's Managing and Creative Director – for those of you who didn't know him yet – was invited to speak at this year's KIKK festival on October 27th.?

"This year, I was impressed by the quality of talks and exhibitions. Everyone was super nice and attentive too," says Felipe.?

The festival hosted many contemporary and diverse groups of artists from all over the world. Their work represented different types of artistic direction, from marketing and media to creative collaborations from countries such as Nigeria, Canada and France. "The audience and speakers were quite diverse this year, and it was cool to see that," says Felipe.

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Putting together the presentation and showcasing our work was a great reminder to see how much work we've done as a team – and how it has inspired people. To see people think about sound from a different approach was memorable. Felipe's feedback made us realise that our business plan, from its early inception, did not take a cookie-cutter approach.?

Other creatives who attended the festival picked up an 'unfiltered mirror', explains Felipe. Many asked how kling klang klong managed to create the company, telling us that they were impressed with our work. Like any creative entrepreneur, it was a great thing to hear.?

While walking through the city streets, the festival was spread out and showcased many talents. What stood out the most was the CAPTURE #2 pavilion – especially the work by Vivien Roubaud titled Samare stationnaire. A samara, which is any seed or fruit with a wing-shaped bearing surface, can travel long distances when carried by the wind. The samara has a downward trajectory when in motion, with the seed falling downward and the wing pointed upwards.?

Aeronautics specialists compared this type of device to an autogyro – a small aircraft with a horizontal propeller that keeps the device in the air, but it doesn't move forward. Through careful symmetrical geometry, the samara hovers in the air. The exhibition shows the seed's flight when falling from the tree. It will glide the equivalent of thousands of kilometres and may even germinate without ever touching the ground.?

Another talk that really stood out was the work of Executive Creative Director Carl Addy, who is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary creative director and director.?

Through his ground-breaking visuals and immersive experiences, his presentation really stood out. His work combines his obsession with music with his knowledge of digital trends and filmmaking carried through at the festival. It was an excellent presentation because his storytelling abilities highlighted the culture of his various works through a modern narrative.

Leaving inspired and ready to create more work, Felipe thinks about the challenges and opportunities that helped build our creative studio. "I kept thinking the KLONGS were small, but after the presentation, I realised that it is impossible to speak about everything we have done in one presentation," says Felipe.?

With a portfolio that includes a diverse set of projects, from immersive sound scenography to translating body gestures into sonic expressions, as seen in Harmonising Movement and then diversifying our portfolio by unleashing classical culture through AI, Chasing Waterfalls, and the Luxembourg Pavilion Expo we did in 2020. We have cinematography, AI and music, which tell a unique story – explaining something new in our industry.?

kling klang klong's journey happened in small increments. There was never a big 'champagne moment' per se. The most important thing for the studio was for everyone to challenge themselves continually. It was a vast economic risk; after ten years of KLONGS studio, it took about eight years to see the hard work pay off and come to fruition.?

When asked what advice Felipe would give his younger self, he laughs and says, "Don't! Stop!" – but honestly, on a personal note, he advises that anyone trying to break into this industry should not let other people disappoint you. Ego should be left aside, and the best advice would be to be patient. To become successful, the focus should be on creating a vision with people who believe in it. It's corny for some but great advice for others.?

kling klang klong never fit into a particular box, and it was definitely challenging to present all the work we've done for KIKK festival – but it was done, and we cannot wait to continue the story and tell something new.?

Check out more of our projects here.?