PARADE

A coarse wooden structure confronts us in the exhibition space. In this relic, which appears to have once been a sumptuous interior, remain only two porcelain vases; limp, slumped, exhausted, as having been forgotten there a long time ago. From the top of the structure hangs a work light, dangling under our noses and dimly illuminating the desolate scene.

Visitors are encouraged to swing the suspended light, which causes the shadows cast by the vases to come alive on the wall, swaying to the rhythm of the movement. With time, the vases become aware of each other, and a relationship forms between them. The tone of the swings will determine if a combat or dance scene unfolds in front of the audience.

Much like shadow theatre, Parade presents the fantastic spectacle of the vase silhouettes which, in a tragicomic ballet, try to regain their original form, their past glory.

PRESS:

“Parade is an interactive art installation conceived by ceramist Laurent Craste and digital agency Dpt. for the Chromatic festival in Montreal. At first glance the piece looks rather mundane: two misshapen porcelain vases sit atop a pedestal inside a wood cube, lit from above by an industrial light. But move the light and suddenly the magic happens as shadows projected from the vases animate to life. What a fun piece.”
Dancing Shadow Sculptures – This is Colossal, May 30 2014.

“You know how to turn crooked vases into an interesting art installation that remind us of Beauty and the Beast’s singing pots and candlesticks? We’d like to say magic, but since we don’t live in a Disney movie, the right answer is motion tracking and real-time 3D rendering.”
Computer trickery makes these shadows dance – Engadget, Jun 5 2014.

CREDITS:

Conception: Laurent Craste, Dpt. / Mathieu Léger

Production: Dpt. & MASSIVart

Ceramics: Laurent Craste

3D Modeling: Mohannad Al-Khatib

3D Animation: Sébastien Léger

Vidéo Paris Nuit Blanche 2014: Director, DOP, editor: Thomas Savary – Sound design, music: Thomas Lozano

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EXHIBITIONS:

Festival Chromatic Montréal
Chalet du Mont-Royal, Montreal
May 2014

Nuit Blanche
Cité de la Mode et du Design, Paris
Oct 2014

Festival Chromatic Paris
Cité de la Mode et du Design, Paris
Apr 2015

Sensory Stories
Museum of the Moving Image, New York
Apr-Jul 2015

Sensory Stories
PHI Centre, Montreal
Aug-Sep 2015