september 5 — 8, 2024
AT /SAC @ MALMAISON
OPENING: sept 5, 18:00 — 22:00 
Schedule: sept 6, 7, 17:00 — 21:30; sept 8, 17:00 — 20:00

Co-organised by /SAC @ MALMAISON
Programmers: Cristian Pascariu, Laurențiu Paraschiv
Curator: Alex Radu
VR Technical Implementation: Marius Cătălin Hodea
Exhibition Coordinator: Cristian Pascariu

BIDFF VR ’24 MAPPING BODIES sees the human body in different social-political contexts, testing the spatial and temporal limits of newly mapped worlds and thus presenting new perspectives on the contemporary, with its emotions, concerns and subjects of reflection.

In the triptych of virtual worlds presented by BIDFF, you get to travel to the other side of the world, to the misty mountains of Oaxaca, to meet the spirits that return full of riches to the world of the living, back in time, during the Holocaust, where musical instruments tell healing stories, and into outer space, to a peaceful exoplanet on the brink of conflict. By choosing to look at the bodies from these three multi-award-winning VR experiences, you will discover a much-needed beacon of hope in an interconnected world increasingly dominated by uncertainty and contradictions, where each choice incites an unexpected web of possibilities.

ADMISSION RULES

  • On the opening night, on September 5, access is free of charge, based on prior reservation at info@spatiuldeartacontemporana.ro. On September 6, 7 and 8, the general public can visit the exhibition by purchasing a ticket.

  • An experience lasts 1h20min, during which the visitor can experience all the works included in the showcase. The ticket is purchased specifically for the time interval in which the spectator visits the exhibition.

  • The maximum number of participants in a time interval is 10 people.

  • The visitors will be assisted throughout the VR experiences by the technical staff and the BIDFF volunteers.

Floating With Spirits

30’, 2023, BE/LU/NL
D: Juanita Onzaga

In this cinematic virtual reality, magical stories are told by two young Mazatec, indigenous sisters, Jocelynne and Jaquelyne, who recall the ancestral knowledge that their shaman grandmother used to share with them, in the misty mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. As the sisters are preparing for the Day of the Dead, they share the stories of their ancestors. During these special days, the spirits of their loved ones descend into the world of the living, guided by the light of the candles and the glow of the Cempasuchil flowers on the altars.

A shamanic dance ritual opens a portal through which we can discover the secret worlds of four spirits of nature. Each spirit has its own secret that it will share with us to enable us to make a new connection with the ancestral Mazatec knowledge. Their vision of the world is beautiful, deep and urgent to be shared in a moment where our society needs to rewire its ways of viewing and interacting with nature. Behind each mountain, there is a sea of knowledge.

HUMAN VIOLINS - PRELUDE

19’, 2023, RO/FR
D: Ioana Mischie

During the Holocaust, many Jews were allowed to choose only one object before being brought to the camps and some of them chose their violin. Some of the violins saved lives, while others accelerated the pain and terror caused by the guards. We follow the fictionalized story of Alma, a 15 years old violin lover inhabiting a world of terror. Through music, she can liberate herself. The user is offered the chance to play and take the legacy of her music further. The interactive playable architecture allows the user to transform the claustrophobic wires into instruments and advance the story.

OTO’S PLANET

28’, 2024, LU/CA/FR
D: Gwenaël François

Oto’s Planet follows the peaceful life of Oto, who loves nothing more than lounging in his hammock and enjoying the fruits of the single tree on his tiny planet. His tranquility is shattered when Exo, a hyperactive and cumbersome cosmonaut, crash-lands in a small spacecraft. The ensuing attempts at communication and cohabitation between these two unlikely roommates are fraught with difficulty.