Jamila Alemi
Jamila Alemi is a Dutch-Afghan graphic designer based in Arnhem, the Netherlands.
She recently graduated from ArtEZ Arnhem with a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design.
Her projects touch upon a wide range of topics, from found footage and social media culture
to an installation exploring refugee representation in the media.
Illusie
2025
Illusie is a short sci-fi essay film exploring the simulation hypothesis through a personal lens, beginning with a childhood memory of playing The Sims, a moment that sparked both fascination and unease. This memory raises the question: if we can control virtual lives, who or what might be controlling ours?
Using a combination of footage filmed within The Sims 4 and shots from the real world, the video gradually shifts from virtual to physical spaces. Scenes of houses, cars, and familiar places mirror one another, blurring the line between what is simulated and what is real. This shift begins at the moment the childhood memory turns uneasy, when the game suddenly feels too real.
Extending beyond the screen, the work is presented
on a desk-like setup designed to replicate the environment where the game is usually played. Surrounding the video are personal trinkets and photographs from the artist’s room, placed alongside their Sims-recreated counterparts. This deliberate physical context draws viewers into the blurred boundary between virtual and real, reinforcing the central question of the work: where does the simulation end, and the real world begin?
Through its calm pace and reflective tone, Illusie invites quiet speculation on the nature of reality. If our lives were part of a simulation, would we even be able to tell? And if so, how might that knowledge change the way we live?
Using a combination of footage filmed within The Sims 4 and shots from the real world, the video gradually shifts from virtual to physical spaces. Scenes of houses, cars, and familiar places mirror one another, blurring the line between what is simulated and what is real. This shift begins at the moment the childhood memory turns uneasy, when the game suddenly feels too real.
Extending beyond the screen, the work is presented
on a desk-like setup designed to replicate the environment where the game is usually played. Surrounding the video are personal trinkets and photographs from the artist’s room, placed alongside their Sims-recreated counterparts. This deliberate physical context draws viewers into the blurred boundary between virtual and real, reinforcing the central question of the work: where does the simulation end, and the real world begin?
Through its calm pace and reflective tone, Illusie invites quiet speculation on the nature of reality. If our lives were part of a simulation, would we even be able to tell? And if so, how might that knowledge change the way we live?