Nostalgie de la Boue

An audio-visual exhibition at Genesis Cinema, London / February - March 2017

Press release
Genesis Cinema is excited to present an exhibition of new works by visual artist Stéphane Blumer and sound artist Doug Haywood. This combined visual and audio installation operates as an extension of Nostalgie de la Boue, a feature film compendium, whose London premiere screening was held at Genesis on 23rd of February 2017.

“Nostalgie de la boue”, meaning longing for the mud, is the metaphoric expression of a desire to return to more rudimental social conditions or behaviour. The film Nostalgie de la Boue relates the journey of hundreds of isolated people walking in deserts. Made exclusively with found footage taken from worldwide cinema, feature films have been edited and turned into new narratives where protagonists interact with each other without ever meeting. Entirely void of dialogue, the original audio has been deleted and sensitively replaced with a new original soundscape composed from library, atmospheric and Foley sounds. Although the paths of each character never converge, their thoughts suggested within mere looks and wordless exchanges give a hint of communication and interactions.

The installation of illuminated prints by Stéphane Blumer involves semi-abstract imagery derived from scenes of the film Nostalgie de la Boue. However void of text, these portrayals of landscapes hint as a direct reference toward classic cinema poster design and scale. Concerned with conveying as much information as possible using the most minimal visual language, each tonal picture suggests different temporalities and narratives.

A specially edited version of the film’s original soundtrack by Doug Haywood gently fills the space creating an evocative atmosphere to compliment the images, detached from the film.

Both artists’ practices are implicated with interpretation of image and scene. Their key interest resides in an interplay of space and quietness, versus noise and confusion. This allows viewers to interpret visual imagery and sound through a combined perception of different proxemics. The work articulates a variety of potential positions offering simultaneously a lack of, or overload of stimuli, using optics and sound to develop a narrative from these abstract, wordless environments.