miguel chevalier's 'vegetal ballet' of virtual plants animates a historic french castle

the historic domaine de chaumont-sur-loire in france is celebrating its latest artistic season with a collection of creative installations that blend art, nature and heritage. among the 13 works on view is an immersive and multi-sensory installation by miguel chevalier that transports viewers to an alternative, digital universe lined with botanical motifs. set in the castle’s landscaped gardens, ‘IN – OUT / artificial paradise’ materializes as a half-elliptical architecture covered by holographic films that glisten beneath the sun’s rays. what visitors find within the geodesic dome is a second, smaller structure, where a digital artwork titled ‘trans-natures’ is panoramically projected. 

a half-elliptical architectural structure is covered by holographic films
all images © miguel chevalier

upon entry to the dome, visitors to domaine de chaumont-sur-loire leave the reality of the outside world and enter a multi-sensory virtual universe. the digital artwork represents a new generation of fantastic artificial plants and flowers that oscillate between motifs found throughout the plant kingdom and their imagined transposition into the digital realm. in the conception of the installation, chevalier has drawn from the natural characteristics of trees, foliage, and flower species, forming a dynamic tableau of plants that grow and disappear before viewers’ eyes. a musical score composed by jacopo baboni schilingi accompanies the mysterious ‘vegetal ballet’ of virtual plants, where the digital garden renews itself and indefinitely transforms.

upon entry to the dome, visitors leave the reality of the outside world

video by claude mossessian

the digital artwork represents a new generation of fantastic artificial plants and flowers

the virtual flora oscillates between motifs found throughout the plant kingdom and their imagined transposition

chevalier has drawn from the natural characteristics of trees, foliage, and flower species

a dynamic tableau of plants grow and disappear before viewers’ eyes

a musical score accompanies the mysterious ‘vegetal ballet’ of virtual plants

the digital garden renews itself and indefinitely transforms

the dynamic installation blends art and nature with the heritage of the site 

a dark reflective floor mirrors views of the digital landscape 

flowers grow in size before vanishing from view 

‘trans-natures’ is panoramically projected within the dome 

the digital artwork constantly changes within the structure 

project info: 

name: IN/OUT – paradis artificiels 2017
artist: miguel chevalier
location: domaine de chaumont-sur-loire (france)
music: jacopo baboni schilingi
software: claude micheli
technical production: voxels productions
courtesy galerie lélia mordoch (paris / miami)

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