"Fossils" invites us to reflect on the possible extinction of the human species.
Crédits photos : Fossiles / AliceA
Conceived by a trio of artists, photographers and musicians, “Fossils” is an immersive work that raises awareness of the probable extinction of humanity. Inspired by Narrative Art, the installation combines photographs, text, sound and augmented reality. “Fossils” is part of the selection for the next Recto VRso immersive and interactive art festival, on April 11-14, 2024.
Through the history of humanity
“ “Fossils” questions the raison d’être of the universe”. This is how the three artists, Chantal Capelli, Philippe Madil and Jean-Pierre Maillet describe their work at first glance. An immersive visual and sound installation, “Fossils” is intended to be a poetic artwork with a strong message The artists want to alert the public to the possibility of the extinction of the human species. To achieve this, they are using augmented reality technology.
“Fossils” is part of an artistic trilogy called “Hominines”. Beginning in 2021, it covers the history of the universe from the big bang to present-day mankind. The three artists are members of the AliceA association, founded 20 years ago to develop digital art. Its members use new technologies to create hybrids between the world and the mind. Together, they explore augmented reality as a form of writing and storytelling.
Inspiration drawn from Narrative Art
The three artists behind “Fossils” were inspired by Narrative Art, an artistic movement that emerged in the 1960s and advocates a return to narrative, combining photographs and text. The artists of this movement call on the imagination of the viewer, who must then reconstitute the meaning of the story being told.
In ‘Fossils’, the process is similar. The user is in an exhibition where seven photographs taken in the Paris metro are hung on the wall. Each photograph is accompanied by a label with a text designed to question the viewer. In front of each photograph, the viewer activates video poems with his smartphone. Thanks to augmented reality, the video poems come to life.
With this experiment, the artists’ idea is to let the spectator wander through the space offered to them. They can go it alone, or share their questions and thoughts with others. The artists explain their creative objective in more detail: “In this experience, augmented reality becomes the mirror of photographic work. While the photographer begins with a dynamic scene to extract a still image, the viewer will start from a still image to access a dynamic image while discovering a shift in reality, a virtual loop that causes a distortion of reality.”
“Fossils” has been selected for the 7th edition of the Recto VRso festival of immersive and interactive art. The three artists will be exhibiting on April 11-14, alongside the Laval Virtual exhibition.
