The cinematography of XANADU takes the spectator on a voyage of new visual experience. The work is orientated towards the creative faculty of dreams, by which humankind explores its domains of consciousness between the spiritual and the everyday worlds. The artwork gives room to personal travels between individual perception and universal knowledge. The spectator can freely move in the space of the art installation or choose to sit down in an arrangement of a lounge, to follow the evolution of the movie.

XANADU is produced in a high definition format of 4K by the French cinematographer and director of photography Jean Mark Selva. The two feature length movies of approximately 70 minutes each are installed opposite of each other in the exhibition space. They form a precise and infinite dialogue, accompanied by a sound installation in 8 channels, distributed by 32 loudspeakers, with compositions of sounds by the electronic musician Alain Perret and visual artist Nikunja. It includes natural sounds, recorded with their nuances by Benoit Ouvrard during the filming process.

The two movies follow the psychological trip of the young protagonist, performed by the artist and actress Mannee Jeeanah (Mauritius). They show a voyage between reality and dream, between the physical and spiritual world. The films are formulated through the powerful landscapes of Reunion Island, creating strong psychological and spiritual worlds. The protagonist carries out existential experiences between life and death, love, transcendence, birth, individual and universal knowledge. They are formulated by poetic performances, between ritual and artistic acts, which question the deep realities of our existence.

By looking at the images, the spectator subtly enters an individual world of creation. The viewer can choose which evolution to follow on the screens and can create own associations with the pictures and sounds. The movies connect the viewer to its own life and memories. The spectator creates a personal dialogue and enters an ever-evolving dialogue with the cinematographic images. This creates a unique experience as part of a performance artwork. In this process of open-ended poetry, the viewers own multi-layered reality merges with that of the artwork.

xanadu multimedia installation english presentation

The formulation of the pictures consciously treats the materiality of the surface (variation of formats, reframes, superposition) and the force of light, colour and time. XANADU supports the associative intuitive inspiration of the spectator and enlarges the cinematographic experience beyond the simple adhering to a subject or the excitement and suspense of narration. The viewer (with its own life experiences) becomes an "idealised being" in the context of the artwork, similar to the performing protagonist. The spectator's experiences and dreams become important, as well as bearers of spiritual energy. Through this, XANADU can give fulfilment beyond the moment of experiencing the work of art.

This experimental work of cinema is accessible to all, beyond social status or education, orientation of religion, ethnic membership or even national origin. Because of its innovation, the formulation of the images reveal the notion of a union of humanity, present in the art installation XANADU as humanist energy. The artwork is well beyond ideologies, philosophies or political interests and excludes any elitism. XANADU can travel and communicate with and through any culture, which certainly will help in its broad worldwide distribution.

In 2015, we plan to release a double DVD in Blue Ray for private use, with instructions for its correct visualisation.