RHUBARB

In the spirit of the Festival des Architectures Vives, our installation, RHUBARB, seeks to transcend traditional boundaries, weaving together the threads of architecture, sports, art, literature, and environmental consciousness. Embracing the festival's ethos of breaking up sleepy sites and stimulating collective imagination, our vision is a modular, adaptive, and dynamic creation that engages the very soul of its audience.

Inspired by the evolving nature of the Olympics, where only the audience remains a constant amongst other changing constants such as sports, teams, and themes, RHUBARB celebrates the active role of spectators. The meaning of the word refers to the ambient background noise on a film set that completes the scene. This mirrors the subtle yet vital nature of the audience's collective voice, similar to the background spectator voice heard in the games. Incorporating elements of sound sculpture, RHUBARB transforms the viewer's movements into a symphony of audio experiences, creating an immersive encounter with art.

In our design, the audience becomes the art, symbolized by small pieces at the centre of focus. We perceive the Olympic audience as a work of art, inviting viewers to engage actively and thereby reversing the traditional roles of art and audience. "Rhubarb" as an artwork is stable and meaningless without the presence of the viewer and the motion starter as in the games. However only after the first move of the audience, the artwork reflects it and converts the energy of the movement into a kinetic art piece, complete with a mesmerizing sound and light show.

For the experience, we invite you to visit our installation at the courtyard AURES at the Festival des Architectures Vives in Montpellier which will take place during 11-16 June 2024.