Previz | Cadie Desbiens-Desmeules

Format – Video 4K or HD, 16:9.

Running Time – 20 min

Previz – A virtual audio-visual performance reflecting on the consumption of media art.

“Previz” refers to a previsualization: a method artists use to create 3D digital representations of how an artwork will look when installed, often including computer generated people to represent an audience. It subtly reveals how essential the audience is to experiencing art. These images are frequently used to promote and document exhibitions, with the perfect artificial representation being favored over a real-life photograph of people engaging with the work.

In “Previz” , the latest artwork by audio-visual artists Cadie Desbiens-Desmeules and Michael Dean, this practice is taken to a new space. 3D modelling isn’t just used to represent the work, the 3D modelling is the work. The flat 2D screen on which the visuals would normally be displayed has been placed within a 3D environment. Computer generated characters observe and engage with the screen, sometimes viewing it on their phone or laptop or experiencing it as part of a Zoom meeting.

This is an artwork within an artwork, using layers and refraction to emphasize the importance of witnesses in making a work relevant and provoking questions on what the future context may be for media art.

Text – Jonny Tiernan

Music – Michael Gary Dean
michaeldean.ca/

Video – Cadie Desbiens-Desmeules
push1stop.com/

Mastering – Shawn Hatfield
audibleoddities.com/

With the support of Contemporary Musiking Hong Kong (CMHK).