Art is More

Organized by the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art (FGA) and the Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the exhibition Noir, c’est noir? The Outrenoirs of Pierre Soulages features a strong experimental character.

The curatorial project creates the conditions for an innovative convergence of art and science. Together with the FGA, the EPFL+ECAL Lab and four other EPFL laboratories and startups put their research and technologies at the service of an original approach to the work of Pierre Soulages.

The strength of an art exhibition usually comes from the relationship between the artworks and the curatorial vision. This vision enlightens the works in a new way and sets them in a specific context to induce unique perceptions and meanings. However, observations in museums show that a wide range of museum audiences miss these links.

How then can we reinforce the understanding of the curatorial vision in museums? How can we move it beyond words to express it in an emotional, sensitive dimension? How can we induce stronger relationships between the visitors and the artworks themselves?

As an introduction to the exhibition, the EPFL+ECAL Lab invites the public to engage through a virtual reality experience. Through quotes from the artist and contextual visuals, the public is drawn into the scenario.

Then, to help visitors perceive the rich experience of light in Pierre Soulages famous Outrenoirs paintings, the EPFL+ECAL Lab created an interactive installation showing the light coming from one Outrenoir, color by color, from red to violet.

Data was captured and analyzed in partnership with Gamaya, a startup company based at EPFL and the Signal Processing Lab 5. EPFL+ECAL Lab explored how to transform the data into an informative, but also sensitive and emotional expression. The interactive installation plays with a visualization of energy, interaction with materiality, and the light variation according to the visitors’ positioning — all in order to create a new relationship with Soulages’ paintings.

The concept includes a specific sequence for the visitors’ experience: first the digital installation that stimulates perception and expectation, and then the painting itself, without any distraction. With quantitative tests the lab thoroughly studied user impact with different configurations. By featuring a unique collection of different colors of light that animates an Outrenoir, this device creates a striking and evocative contrast that enables the public to approach the works without artifice.