Lose yourself in the cosmic world of 11:11 Collective’s Risograph animations

The bright colours of the Risograph can soften the sharp edges of things. As a method for screen printing it can make shapes appear cut-out – exclusively graphic and flat. Not for 11:11 Collective’s animated works though – they’re gloriously gritty and 3D. Each piece moves with a life of its own in a way that points to a physical space beyond its printed frames.

Founded in 2022 by Marvin Sipma and Seven Shepherd, former studio mates during their graphic design course in Rotterdam, the collective’s core principles “are founded in exploring the intersection of play and coding, analogue and digital, while maintaining an experimental and playful mindset,” says Seven. With a portfolio of playful and hypnotic loops that pulse to techno beats, the collective’s output is morphed by Marvin’s expertise in digital and motion design and Seven’s magic Riso touch, which she perfected during an internship at Lisbon-based independent publisher, Stolen Books.

Sebastiaan Paap joined the collective in 2024, bringing a dose of creative coding into the mix. Now, the trio are working between Rotterdam and Barcelona, regularly participating in self-initiated exhibitions in and around the two cities “using projection mapping or vintage TV set-ups” to showcase their hypnotic series of animations. Their second series of collaborations, Risocode, celebrates a combination of the “harsh digital aesthetics of coding” through computer-generated animations with “the tangible and imperfect nature of Risograph”, says Marvin.

Work by the likes of Julia Schimautz, Lena Weber, Zach Lieberman, Jurriaan Hos, Hansje van Halem and “the legends who programmed iTunes visualiser”, are often the things that the collective find themselves turning to for creative inspiration, says Sebastiaan. “Besides that, we deeply appreciate 70s psychedelic visuals, internet 1.0 visuals, and Mandelbrot fractals,” ends Seven.