16 November 2008

Setting the tone

Since the 6th of November and until the 22nd, Abstract is exhibited at the Théatre de l'Agora, Scène Nationale d'Evry et d'Essonne. Yesterday, a special event "Circuit Ecléctique #3" took place that would take people through a number of art pieces, closing with a concert. I was there with some friends to attend the event and observe the participants in the installation.
It's the 3rd time Abstract is presented, after the Gallery Ef exhibition and the festival Nuits de l'Ososphère last year. So I was able to experience a different context and make comparative notes. I must say that although it was a nice and interesting setting yesterday, it couldn't beat the Japanese one. I realized that Abstract cannot be shown in any kind of context. I fantasize about my works being able to be presented globally, whether in a theatre, or in a gallery or in an undefined public space. I think I'm being naive there.
What I try to achieve with Abstract is a strong immersion cutting the participant from his reality and daily environment. But the interaction itself is not enough. The staging has to be part of it. And I'm not sure it can be done in the context of a new media show where many constraints have to be taken into account to share the space with other pieces, and with a timing that get people to go from one experience to many other ones in say an hour time.
I learned yesterday that if the conditions to show a piece are not exactly the ones you need then it's better not to go with it at all. It's what making the difference between a "nice" experience to an "impacting" one. I cannot do approximation anymore. It's not easy for me to accept that because I tend to be enthusiastic, I like trying collaborations, I want to say yes to all the opportunities I get and I'm always hopeful and curious about the outcomes even if they're not what I had in mind. I like the randomness about the process. But I shouldn't do it anymore at all costs. I'm very grateful that the theatre team wanted to show Abstract and they did a good work mounting a black box and putting a lot of efforts to follow some of my instructions but the isolation was not there, and therefore I think due to that and few other reasons the incitement to stay a long time was not there.
All these observations are great to help me build a stronger experience for next time and it's also confirming the crucial importance of scenography, an art that I don't master well yet.

-- Joëlle.

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25 November 2007

Dorkbot #7

The next Dorkbot Paris is taking place the 1st and 2nd of december, during the festival Les Mondes Hors Pistes" (Worlds off tracks) which celebrates the 10 years of the tv show "Tracks" from Arte and it's taking place in the fashion designer Agnès b. gallery space.

Our program proposes various workshops, installations, and performances:

** Workshops **

- Mouse and keyboard hacking, by Jean-Baptiste Labrune and Vincent Roudaut

- CCTV cameras hacking by Karl Otto Von Oertzen and Alexandre Berthier

- Switch on, switch off, by Joëlle Bitton and Julien Dorra
Discovering the basic principles of interaction.

- Recycling audio tapes by Harold Schellinx

** Objects and installations **

Works by Claudia Mannigel, Emmanuel Ferrand, Stéfane Perraud, Armel Barraud, David Steinberg, Dana Gordon, Jean-Baptiste Labrune and LLND

** Performances **

- Bobby vs Predator by Benjamin Cadon

- Travelling (alternative dadaist version) by Joëlle Bitton and David Krutten

- Improvisation by Otso Lahdeoja

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24 August 2007

Exhibition

The opening of "Abstract" took place just about 3 weeks ago. It was an incredibly rewarding moment.
First of all because I thought it would never happen. Again a couple of days before I was still getting crazy over Windows Vista, then Windows XP trying to make the pure-data program work. From Paris, Vincent would try to understand why it wasn't working on the Japanese PC while it was rolling on his machine. But with the time difference and the distance, it was taking a lifetime and if it wasn't for Carson's precious debugging help, I would have sunken deeper than the sunken ship in my sorrow.
It was also rewarding because all the people who attended the opening praised the work and I felt quite happy that they got the intention in the piece without any particular explanation.
In particular, I remember Ikuko, that I met that evening who came by chance at the gallery, not knowing what was going on and wrote me an email later telling me that the installation gave her the opportunity to take the time to face herself and her life and get "subtle reminiscent feelings, recollecting memory from childhood, school days, travel etc.."

Izumi, the curator of gallery éf, also got a beautiful idea: she invited Ouchi, a Japanese chef to present her summer sweets to be served with tea, in the gallery space. So people would sit on the carpet where the projection was happening and proceed to an informal tea ceremony. I managed to taste some of the confectioneries she made and got from that a delicious food experience.

All together, I felt people were very at ease with the experience, taking the time to enjoy it and to discover its different layers. My initial intention related to time length and expectation felt clearly embraced. And along the way, as it always happen, I noticed that people put emotions in it or other intentions that I didn't foresee.
Izumi keeps on letting me know how it's been going and for 3 weeks, swell and beyond.

I already named the people who helped me for this piece in a previous post - yet I feel the need to mention again some people whose support was an amazing gift: the team of gallery éf, Izumi and her mother, her aunt, her brother and Takeshi who, among others, managed to get Sanyo to lend a videoprojector; Carson who made a computer from his lab at the University of Tokyo available for the duration of installation and hosted me at his home in Tokyo; Julie who came with me to Japan, to make some shootings for her own project but who took the time to stand by me in the darkest hours, always up for some good laughs; and of course, David who I met everyday on Skype so I could share with him all the emotions of this profound experience and who at a distance provided me with his comforting and uplifiting presence.
As well, just before my departure, during the last Dorkbot Paris, Stéfane offered Vincent and I the space needed and all kind of materials to test the piece one last time and Jean-Baptiste who was around helped us on more than one occasion.
And I also forgot to mention last time another Jean-Baptiste (Verguin) whose feedback I always enjoy.

The installation is on in Tokyo for another week. It will also be exhibited in France, at the Nuits de l'Ososphère in Strasbourg at the end of the month of September.
I'm currently editing a short video for demo but in the meantime, here are some pictures. More of them are available at the gallery éf website, in the Abstract project section, along with an interview Takeshi made of me, with unusual questions...





-- Joelle.

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17 July 2007

Abstract

The exhibition date of the installation Abstract on which I worked for the past year is getting close.
I'm flying next Thursday to Japan with Julie to set it up at Gallery EF so we can open on the 2nd of August.
Stressful and exciting are the 2 words that have been taking turns in my mind lately. I've been thinking about this project since late 2004/early 2005. It took me then 1 and a half years to find the financial resources to get started and then almost another one to develop the 1st version. So now it's a mix of pleasure and frustration.

On top of the help from the Dicream, I got the most precious collaborations from those talented one: Vincent Roudaut who did all the programming, Ailadi Cortelletti who made beautiful drawings and Rupert Huber who did the music.
And while I'm at it, I might as well list all the people who helped me along the way - with a computer or a tripod or a videocamera or a flat or a workplace or advices, contacts, ideas, travelling company.... very Cool people...
Carson Reynolds, Yoshiko Sakuma, Julie Morel, Yugo Minomo, Raphaël Meyer, David Krutten, Philippe Moya Lazaro, Jo Kazuhiro, Tomoko Hayashi, Naomi Hamaguchi and Daï, Alvaro Cassinelli, Dominick Chen, Matt Karau, Stefan Agamanolis, Jocelyne Quélo and la Maison Pop, Christophe Leclerq and Paul Girard and le CITU, Vincent Rioux and Confluences, Izumi and Takeshi Yamaguchi at Gallery Ef.

If you're in Tokyo in August, please come have a look.



--Joëlle

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