Rm 921: Willea Zwey

Projected onto a 48-foot wall, Et Sic Videmus is only viewable after dusk and from the windows of 21c Chicago guest rooms with interior-facing windows. Designed to showcase immersive and experiential moving-image work in response to the unique space, Elevate: Rm 921 addresses complex issues that shape our diverse and rapidly changing world.

Et Sic Videmus (And Thus We See) is a video installation that consists of multiple clips capturing the intersections of Chicago’s natural and built environments, with water as a central element. Formed by nature yet embedded in the city’s infrastructure, water shapes and is shaped by its surroundings—flowing through riverways, lakefronts, and engineered channels. Its fluidity mirrors the project’s core themes of ambiguity, transformation, and the tension between control and spontaneity. 

Within the video, real-world footage is layered with 3D-architectural constructs, life-like elements, and surreal objects, gradually revealed through an animated sectional cut—a technique drawn from architectural visualization. This unfolding process dissects the environment, exposing hidden layers where nature and urban structures merge, blurring the line between reality and speculation.

Willea Zwey is a multidisciplinary artist based in Chicago, whose work blends architectural precision with imaginative storytelling. Guided by her background in architecture, she creates otherworldly scenes rich in detail, surreal elements, and expressive use of color. Her practice explores themes of memory, identity, and interconnectedness, crafting dynamic environments that resonate on both visual and emotional levels. Since entering the digital art world in 2021, Willea’s works have been exhibited internationally, including at Sotheby’s, The National Art Center Tokyo, Art Dubai, and Digital Art Fair, offering innovative perspectives that bridge reality and imagination.