The 19th century Parisian theater-turned-cultural center, the Gaîté Lyrique, just reopened its doors last week, and in celebration of its transformation into a space dedicated to digital media, artists-in-residence United Visual Artists (UVA) were asked to create the premiere installation.Their installations entitled Rien a Cacher/Rien a Craindre (Nothing to Hide/Nothing to Fear), were inspired by “the assumption that digital technology is moving towards a utopia.” According to UVA’s interpretations, that utopia is one that is semi-omniscient, transforming the building into an all-seeing, playful, and seductive force, ultimately giving the building a life of its own.UVA, in partnership with sound designers Matthias Kispert and Henrik Ekeus, took over the lighting and sound systems from March 2-6, turning the building into a “high-tech artistic canvas,” much like the work that the space will house. While the “living building” was a temporary being, the idea that every move we make can be recorded and mapped—whether it’s purchasing a meal with a credit card or something more overt like checking into a restaurant on Foursquare—sets a whole new perimeter of interactivity that isn’t always comfortable.According to the project’s description:The installations, mostly having their own dedicated rooms, are connected to each other by an ambient, generative sound and light-scape which is set up in a cyclical rhythm, reinforcing the personality of the building… Every visitor will go on a unique journey, coming across a labyrinth functioning as a musical instrument; a mirror mixing the present and the past; and various installations using the faces and bodies of visitors in a confronting and powerful way… At the same time, UVA want to bring the visitor's attention to the fundamental problem of all technology: at some point, it all breaks down, and then "all we have left is each other".
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UVA's Installation Premieres At The Opening Of The Gaîté Lyrique
Take a sneak peak at Rien a Cacher / Rien a Craindre, the first works to be shown at the newly opened digital cultural center.