Retornar

(Video HD 20' , 2021)

Set in a fictional Andes in the year 2222 "Retornar" (Spanish: To return, to come back) narrates the story of the nine last living humans on Earth and their journey towards a big "reset". 

Structured as a video game, “Retornar” takes place in a Latin America that has nothing else to give: its soil has dried up and the atmosphere has become increasingly dangerous. After a catastrophic war driven by an extreme exploitation of natural resources, the surviving characters wander around a dystopian Andean landscape. They find themselves with no other purpose but to spend the day going through different “puzzles” and “loading screens”. Without warning, they are summoned by a mysterious blue orb that will transport them into a digital celestial world where - after a celebratory “last dance” - they will be forced into becoming the seeds for a new generation.

“Retornar” was made through a multilayered process. The world itself was built through a mixture of scenes created in The Sims 4, SketchUp, Photoshop, as well as real footage shot in front of a green screen. The scenarios were built using an isometric perspective to mimic early 8 bit video games, as well as early life simulation games, and video chat universes.

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(Created as part of the PHI Montreal 2021 Residency)

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Exhibitions:

PHI Foundation: "… and room in the bag of stars" . Montréal, QC, September 2021 - January 2022

The Polygon Gallery: "Ghosts of the Machine" . North Vancouver, BC. June - August, 2022

Sporobole: "JEU-ART-GAME Intangible in-between"  . Sherbrooke, QC. September - October 2022

Perte de Signal: " JEU-ART-GAME Intangible in-between". Montréal, QC. January - February 2022

Centre Bang: "JEU-ART-GAME Intangible in-between". Saguenay, QC. March - May 2023

ISEA x Canadian Cultural Center. Paris, FR. May 2023

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Screenings:

Undocumenta. Kassel, GER. July 2022

"Performing Time", Prospect Art. Los Angeles, USA. December 2022

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Press:

STILLPOINT Magazine: Why Dance in The Face of War? written by Luce de Lire