Spectral was a truly ambitious Europe-wide project where six artist-run, analog film labs built a network over four years, exchanging knowledge (in their words: empirical engineering!), co-curating events, hosting residencies and enforcing collaborations not only within DIY analog film practices, but also building connections to other art disciplines and new audiences.

The Labs

• Baltic Analog Lab (Riga, Latvia)
• Crater-Lab (Barcelona, Spain)
• Labor Berlin (Germany)
• Laia-Torre (Porto, Portugal)
• Mire (Nantes, France)
• WORM Filmwerkplaats (Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

All share a common enthusiasm for experimental cinema and its history, from the pioneers who invented moving image, to avant-garde and underground film and cross-media practices.

This book, designed by Pedro Nora and printed by Orgal in Porto, has a remarkable cover: a matt metallic coating over cardboard that seems to have a prismatic glittering layer.  which comes shining through any tiny scratch (a bit like those scratch cards from lotteries!). The book summarizes the activities and outcomes. More info is to be found on the Spectral website.

Sioftcover, published in 2025, 142 pages.