realUNreal Simon Lamunière

The only remaining idea will be the project itself, for the sake of it’s

latest updated version.

In 1994 the VERSION exhibition context started off by organizing events in

the hybrid field of art and technologies. 9 shows later, VERSION produced a

new type of museum. Actually i don’t know yet how we can define this

structure without using misused words, but i’ll try.

In Geneva (Switzerland), there is a building with and art center and a

contemporary art museum (mamco). Inside this building, there are obviously

rooms where artists show their work. When entering the museum, one has to

walk to choose what to see. And one may land in Heimo Zobernig’s

installation. At first glance, it looks like an empty room but in fact the

back wall can be turned (like a door) and reveals a computer behind it. On

the computer (and on the web) the building is abstractly represented in vrml

and the room aswell. In this digital space, there’s an online piece of

Zobernig too (although it’s not quite like that because it’s a website a

student of his has done by hacking heimozobernig.com). The online building

has been designed by fabric|ch, and can been seen on electroscape.org.

Zobernig is the first artist to be invited in this context. Soon, other

artists will have shows in this double building, adding and investing

spaces. Some specific rooms and installations of this museum will also be

integrated/transposed in the vrml, mainly because they are relevant in this

project and in this curatorial practice.

Of course it’s difficult to develop things in 2 simultaneous fields like the

physicall museum and the virtual space. This hybrid is actually more

dychotomic than hybrid, because they are seperated but entangled. But still,

the main idea is to create oportunities to do and think the museum, in

technological times.

I hope curators will also be able to conceive shows in such a context where

setting a piece next to another can make more sense than having lists to

scroll. Skipping a name in a list is not the same thing as skipping a room

in a building. I hope it will be a usefull tool to think and practice the

museum olutside the museum but for the museum.

Simon Lamunière Dec.6.2002

version.ch

electroscape.org

Zobernig , heimozobernig.com , electroscape.org