RET. INEVITABLE
Ret.Inevitable 1.5 transforms a nondescript conference room at the Chicago Navy Pier into an immersive cinematic experience centered around an illuminated core.
The core is constructed with walls of white Spandex, a black Spandex ceiling, and rests on an elevated black platform. Red navigation lights guide visitors to four slits that serve as entrances. Two of the walls feature slits defined by the edges of the floor-to-ceiling film and video projections. Inside the 24' x 30' core, viewers are engulfed in video art and short films, presented as a 360-degree experience alternating between programs in an A-B-A sequence.
Sound and playback control are delivered via infrared remote headsets positioned on the seating. The seating itself consists of blue vinyl-coated pool lounge chairs mounted on ball bearings, allowing viewers to spin in a circle, enhancing the fluidity of the visual experience. Projections are rear-projected onto the core walls using large mirrors, doubling the image size while reducing the projector’s required length.
This project explores the experiential and physical aspects of cinema, immersing viewers to the point of dissolving spatial boundaries. The continuous barrage of images aims to dematerialize the floor and ceiling, creating a sense of suspension. The lounge chairs act as literal and conceptual flotation devices, enabling viewers to "float" between films and images, deepening their absorption in this dynamic cinematographic space.
Credits
Commission: Chicago Art FairType: Art Installation
Location: Chicago
Size: 24’ by 30’
Design: 1999