A NEW ART INSTALLATION BY LAWRENCE DUPUIS
"Would it not be of utmost importance for us to cultivate a relationship with our 27 emotions (Dacher Keltner, University of California, Berkeley, USA) in which they serve us better? What if these distinct emotions were akin to superpowers that we would benefit from mastering? Might we not resemble the X-MEN, those fictional characters who must come to terms with their abilities to fully realize their potential?
ADMIRATION, ADORATION, AMUSEMENT, CONTEMPLATION, ANGER, CURIOSITY, ANXIETY, WONDER, EMBARRASSMENT, BOREDOM, CALM (SERENITY), CONFUSION, ENVY, DISGUST, PAIN, EMPATHY, ASTONISHMENT (INTRIGUED), EXCITEMENT (STIMULATION), FEAR, HORROR, JOY, NOSTALGIA, RELIEF, ROMANCE, SADNESS, SATISFACTION, SEXUAL DESIRE, SURPRISE."
The multidisciplinary artist Lawrence Dupuis is coming up with a new audiovisual work that he views as a continuation, a culmination of the responses garnered during researches and presentations of his two previous works, VOIS-TU ÇA? (2020) and MÉMOIRE VIVANTE (2021). *see last page for more infos
CHALEUR HUMAINE. AUDIOVISUAL INSTALLATION PROJECT. (2024)
Human Warmth is an artistic and nearly immersive audiovisual installation with two components (two parallel rooms), where each individual has the opportunity to receive a dose of empathy and tenderness while engaging in introspection. In a world that can sometimes feel like it is teetering on the brink of darkness, the work titled Human Warmth serves as an opportunity to better understand how kindness among living beings generally fosters greater benevolence and compassion.
The project is an occasion to channel as much light and love as possible, encouraging those who wish to embrace it to awaken or even become aware of the often underestimated impact of kindness. The experience also acts as a conduit to connect with our innermost emotions, which transform and regulate our states of mind. Although these emotions arise from the depths of our being, they remain difficult for many to comprehend and articulate.
In the style of the film Samsara (2011) and lasting 25 minutes, the audience finds themselves at the heart of a presentation showcasing a series of stunning moving images that poetically evoke themes of benevolence: love, unconditional love, mutual support, compassion, generosity, gratitude, serenity, trust, hope, comfort, community, belonging, and success.
This highly symbolic visual presentation is accompanied by a sound design that sporadically incorporates audio excerpts from social workers and community facilitators recounting memories of assistance, alongside other excerpts that simplify the psychological and physiological impacts of collective kindness. In addition to the visual and auditory experience, a lighting ambiance composed of variations and changes in color envelops the exhibition space. This intentional lighting design seamlessly enhances and synchronizes with the video.
In the second, more interactive portion of the work, the audience familiarizes themselves with and learns more about the impact that light can have on our states of mind. The light present around us comprises various colors, which, often unbeknownst to us, influence our emotions. Scientific studies have shown that humans, like plants, are sensitive to chromatic variations. Following the projection, people are invited to stroll through a second space adjacent to the first, illuminated with a spectrum that transitions from red to blue, from blue to green, and from green to yellow. This second space provides individuals with the opportunity to experience colors in isolation rather than as part of the usual daylight, which contains all colors. Projected texts on the walls simultaneously explain how light colors can affect us. It is worth noting that the soundtrack played for the audiovisual presentation can be heard in both rooms simultaneously, thus extending the overall ambiance of the experience.
CITIZEN APPROACH
In a warm and welcoming atmosphere, the audience, poised to be transported during the viewing of the work, is invited to write down a moment from their lives when they acted as a source of support or witnessed an act of assistance. (It is important to note that this portion is left to the discretion of each individual.) They will also briefly record how they remember feeling at that moment. This "call to action" serves as a first step towards introspection and encourages a more engaged participation from the audience. Once the papers are collected, attendees are invited to take their seats and make themselves comfortable in the conceptualized projection space. Throughout the project’s duration, new images inspired by the audience's written texts will be incorporated into the presentation, allowing citizens to naturally become collaborators in the work.
SCIENTIFIC, ACADEMIC & PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH
In a desire to give the work a significance beyond contemplation and to add a serious approach that could be deemed scientific, the artist collaborates with individuals possessing scientific, academic, and psychological expertise, all of whom have a connection to humanity, for the creation and conceptualization of the project. This collaboration justifies the decisions made regarding the symbolism behind the staged images, the narrated audio excerpts, the colors used in the presentation, the texts present in the second room, and the auditory vibrations integrated into the project’s sound design. The data collected from the audience will also have a scientific relevance, as it will be used to conduct a study on the rules governing the relationships between our emotions and our environment. Whenever possible, infrared cameras installed in the second portion of the installation will capture in real-time the potential thermal variations of the audience immersed in the different light colors. The artist's interest in quantifying and analyzing the impacts of the work on the audience aims to stimulate the quest for knowledge while promoting collaboration between art, community, and science. This approach not only has an undeniable citizen impact but also facilitates multilateral exchanges among the various parties involved in the experience.
PREVIOUS PROJECTS
VOIS-TU ÇA? (2020)
In the pandemic context of 2020, Lawrence Dupuis created a kinetic work of audiovisual projections inspired by a poem by author Jean-Christophe Réhel and a photographic series by artist Annie Garofano. These interconnected creations shared a common goal: to highlight the beauty in the small things in life and provide a natural balm during this challenging period. In an effort to counter the growing sense of solitude resulting from public health restrictions, the projection was transported and presented throughout the municipality of Repentigny. It was displayed on the walls and surfaces of citizens' homes, as well as outside several retirement homes in the region, allowing hundreds of people to experience the work.
MÉMOIRE VIVANTE (2021)
Following numerous encounters with elderly residents of various retirement homes in Repentigny, Lawrence Dupuis’s desire to repeat such exchanges persisted and intensified. Having felt an almost spiritual impact during certain interactions with seniors, the artist sought to deepen his approach by planning recorded interviews that ultimately culminated in an outdoor projection lasting about twenty minutes, during which local elders shared their identities, lives, and visions.
