CONAN Gilles

 " dots. that’s what we need ! " gilles conan [fr] / installation (2004).

this installation invites the spectator to step deep into a dark space where he will gradually perceive a light source. the light emanates from an electronic chromatic device that creates a shifting composition using braille both as a graphic base and as a symbolic mise-en-abîme of the digital. this resort to light seeks a pure, ephemeral, and immaterial transmission and serves as a sharp metaphor for a furtive thought, one that is enlightened and elusive. made up of elementary signs, primary physics, and a language of signs, this work is based upon the language that exits prior to speech, one that can be suggested by a look closely touching upon thought. handling language that way leads to different levels of interpretation, reserving also accesses to the poor-sighted and the non-sighted. the creative process invites the spectator into an active and perceptive reverie and plunges him into mental and reflexive concentration through the effects of what can be defined as a ’music of light ’.

gilles conan has been interested in stage lighting in the context of modern dance since 1998. he presented his first piece in december 2004 for superflux ( fête des lumières , lyon ). in 2006, jean-marc bustamante invited him to participate in his exhibition -beautifuldays- at the kunsthaus in bregenz. he cosigned with him ’ dispersion ’, a light installation on the four facades of the austrian center for contemporary art.