Interiors 123

"As regards my means of expression, I try my hardest to achieve the maximum of clarity, power, and plastic aggressiveness; a physical sensation to begin with, followed up by an impact on the psyche." - Joan Miró

The quest for brutal expression in the work of Spanish-Catalan surrealist master Joan Miró (1893-1983) can be compared to the effect one aims to create with Virtual Reality: power, total immersion, clarity, impact.

Miró visited the Netherlands in 1928, and in awe of the old masters, especially Vermeer, decided to re-paint his own idiosyncratic, abstract versions of these works. These three ‘Dutch Interiors’ paintings form the theme of this production.

The visuals of the VR-production Interior 123 are presented in 360-degrees, in three virtual spaces. These virtual spaces are filled with a range of living asymmetrical forms. Details of the three works of Miró come to life in a vivid virtual environment. Colour palettes and depths of contrast are borrowed from works of the old masters such as ‘The Lute Player’ by Martensz Sorgh and ‘The Dance Lesson’ by Jan Steen. Images of the musicians from Black Pencil have been shot in a green screen studio, and can thus be digitally placed into these virtual spaces. A combination of pixel smearing techniques and 3D transformations transform the musicians into abstract shapes. The visitor experiences an arresting and surreal world where nothing is as it seems. A short yet powerful story that leaves room for one’s own associations.