AT THE HAND : getting a handle on technology

Can you really touch the sky? On the Place des Arts Esplanade, the answer is yes! For the 15^th edition of LUMINO, you can take part in an interactive experience titled At the Hand, a reflection on our relationship with technology, involving an unusual interaction with a giant holographic hand.

Starting out as a documentary filmmaker, Patrice LaCroix wanted to experiment with volumetric sculpture, with the aim of getting the public to question its use of technology. “It’s like with documentaries: the ultimate goal, in my opinion, is to get people to start thinking about the subject I’m addressing as a director,” he explains.

This is the same introspective process the artist has used in creating his giant hand, a dozen meters tall, which has been brought to life in three dimensions using some 25,900 LED bulbs, each 2.5 cm in diameter, suspended on 324 rows of translucent filaments. “I wanted to examine the relationship between humans and technology, but also the way in which we approach it,” says Patrice LaCroix. “I mean our [addiction] to video games, television, and all the tools that are imposed on us for our work. This is something that creates as many problems as it solves.”

TAKING BACK CONTROL, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY

In a booth at the foot of the Esplanade, from which the illuminated artwork can be seen, people are invited to place their hands above a synthetic rock—“as if it had just come down from space”—, giving them full control over the movements of the giant hand, in real time. This also allows the public to take control in a figurative sense, giving people the upper hand on technology, which seems to dominate our daily lives.

The artist is not oblivious to the irony of his work: denouncing technology, which is nevertheless necessary for its existence. “The name At the Hand, also sort of sounds like “at the end”—meaning that at the end of the day, we are the ones who always have control over technology, regardless of automation, regardless of robotics,” explains LaCroix.

There are also explanatory notes within the booth, helping to further the public’s reflection. The artist hopes that the interactive experience will continue in the visitors’ memories and psyches well beyond the few minutes of wonder they spend with the work. The artwork can be viewed and brought to life until January 5, Sunday to Wednesday, from 5 pm to 10 pm, and Thursday to Saturday, from 5 pm to 11 pm.

Over the next year, At the Hand will travel the world to various festivals and museums. It’s a consecration for this local artist, who says he is honoured to exhibit on the Place des Arts Esplanade, which gives his work an even more colossal appearance!