What is Interstices?
We are a media arts research-creation group based in Montreal. Founded in 2000 by Jean Dubois and Lynn Hughes, the group aimed initially to bring together artists from the French and English speaking art/design communities to work loosely together on individual or collaborative projects that explored the aesthetic, poetic and critical significance of interactive technologies.
The group’s activity up to now has consisted of two cycles during each of which a group of about eight artists worked to produce works which were then exhibited together (before going on to more separate destinies).
During the first cycle (2001-2005?) we deliberately worked without a common theme, relying instead on working towards the group exhibition using shared space and technical resources. We also shared some thematic concerns such as the body and the environment, ambiguity in interpersonal relations, the cooperative reception of works and site-specific integration. During the second cycle (2006-2010?) we chose the idea of proxemics 1 as a way to produce works around a common theme that was intended as open and flexible rather than constraining. (See essay on Amplified Intimacies/ Quotient d’intimité) .
The projects use a broad range of technologies -some commercially available and some custom designed. More importantly, work in and across the group juxtaposed or crossbred different types of art and design practices, including sculpture, video installation art, games, architecture, music, fashion design, etc.
After ten years, and with the completion of the second group exhibition it feels like some kind of turning point. Jean Dubois’ work is now increasingly focused on architectural and public interventions along with the technical, political and aesthetic challenges associated with digital work in public space. Lynn Hughes is now committed to conceiving and producing games that occupy a space between the large scale experimental interactive environments she has already produced and commercial games. These “games” currently focus on full body interaction and on content that is poetically and critically challenging.
In short, we are pausing to talk and think about where Interstices needs to go next. What kind of context is now relevant, how and for whom?
1Hall, Edward T., The Hidden Dimension. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1966