The Video Pistoletto project allowed me to revisit the performances of Michelangelo Pistoletto, founder of the Arte Povera movement, by breaking not mirrors but liquid crystal display video screens (LCD), using a hammer and a chisel. Here the crystals spray out from the discreet TV pixels while remaining partially sensitive to the video signal, to generate organic compositions between the glass fragments. Faithful to the principles of Arte Povera, I work with a technological material destined to be impoverished, following the effects of planned obsolescence. Once damaged, these are transformed into concrete objects, like Heidegger's tools which only manifests themselves to our consciousness once rendered dysfunctional: the material properties of these screens are only perceptible after I have interrupted their function open a window to the world.

Le projet Vidéo Pistoletto m’a donné l’occasion de revisiter les performances de Michelangelo Pistoletto, fondateur du mouvement Arte Povera, en brisant non plus des miroirs mais des écrans vidéo à cristaux liquides (LCD), à l’aide d’un marteau et d’un burin. Ici les cristaux jaillissent de leurs pixels de télévision, tout en restant partiellement sensibles au signal vidéo, pour générer des compositions organiques entre les fragments de verre. Fidèle aux principes d’Arte Povera, je travaille un matériau technologique destinés à s’appauvrir, suite aux effets de l’obsolescence programmée. Une fois endommagés, ceux-ci se transforment en objets concrets, comme l’outil de Heidegger qui ne se manifeste à notre conscience qu’une fois rendu dysfonctionnel : les propriétés matérielles de ces écrans ne sont perceptibles qu’après avoir interrompu leur fonction d’ouvrir une fenêtre sur le monde.

Video Pistoletto, 19 min performance over three odd-sized LCD screens and three-channel video (before and after). Playground AV festival, Vienna, Apr. 2018.

Video Pistoletto (first few strikes, screens 02 and 03). Playground AV Festival, Vienna, Apr. 2018

Video Pistoletto (first few strikes, screen 01, sideways). Playground AV Festival, Vienna, Apr. 2018

Video Pistoletto (half-way into the performance, details of screens 03). Playground AV Festival, Vienna, Apr. 2018

Video Pistoletto (half-way into the performance, details of screens 02). Playground AV Festival, Vienna, Apr. 2018

Video Pistoletto (final composition details of screens 02 and 03). Playground AV Festival, Vienna, Apr. 2018

Video Pistoletto (final composition details of screens 01). Playground AV Festival, Vienna, Apr. 2018

Video Pistoletto (final composition detail of screens 02). Playground AV Festival, Vienna, Apr. 2018

Video Pistoletto (final composition of screens 02). Playground AV Festival, Vienna, Apr. 2018

Video Pistoletto (final composition of screens 02). Playground AV Festival, Vienna, Apr. 2018

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