The narrative is carried by the voices of two privileged witnesses: that of the writer Juan Larrea, a member of the Spanish Republican delegation, and that of Dora Maar, a surrealist artist and the artist’s companion, whose anti-fascist commitment was decisive in the birth of this political work and who documented the genesis of the work through a series of photographs.
The Metamorphoses of Guernica
Rediscover the story of a universal and iconic masterpiece
A unique immersion into the heart of a major masterpiece
The Metamorphoses of Guernica traces the history of Pablo Picasso’s monumental painting, from its commission for the 1937 International Exhibition in Paris to its status as an icon and symbol of peace.
The experience invites viewers to journey through a series of significant moments and places: the Spanish Republican Pavilion, where the work was first revealed to the public; the ruins of the Basque town of Gernika after the bombing that inspired the painting; the Parisian studio of the Grands-Augustins, where the work was created; and finally the various locations the canvas travelled to before its permanent installation at the Reina Swofía Museum in Madrid.
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– Quotee, Quoted
Three Direct Questions
Philippe Cohen Solal, Director
Philippe Cohen Solal, a French musician, composer, and producer, is a founding member of Gotan Project.
An eclectic artist and technology enthusiast, he drew inspiration from the works of Henry Darger, a major figure in Art Brut, to create his transmedia project INSIDER-OUTSIDER, which combines live performance, music, and immersive experiences.
What drew you to Darger's work?
I discovered Henry Darger and Art Brut at the American Folk Art Museum in New York in 2003 during a U.S. tour with Gotan Project. By chance, I also met his heirs. Darger’s work, primarily analog, is made up of collages, drawings, and texts. This self-taught artist, who operated outside modern art conventions (“outsider”), was a genius in both drawing and literature, creating throughout his life without ever showing his work.
Darger embodies pure creativity and is the definition of Art Brut. There’s no intention of external validation; he creates primarily for himself.His world fascinated me, with its depiction of a rich, imaginary battle between the realms of children and adults. But, to me, it called for a complementary musical and auditory dimension.
What started this transmedia project?
Initially, my collaborator Mike Lindsay and I composed music based on Darger’s song lyrics, while showcasing a handcrafted panorama of his drawings and paintings. We aimed to showcase the breadth of his work through digital means. It’s a vintage universe that evokes a form of pop culture from the 1930s to the 1960s, largely inspired by his 15,000-page collection “In the Realms of the Unreal”.
Our album was ready by the end of 2019, but, of course, COVID-19 delayed any touring possibilities. The pandemic also gave us time to consider other ways to bring OUTSIDER to the public when concerts were so limited. I decided to use 2D animation to create more polished visuals, which led me to videographer Pascal Gary (aka formazero). Together, we collaborated with the Rainbox collective, particularly Gabriel Jacquel, to develop the project’s visual concept. We ended up with short, highly narrative visual clips to accompany our music compositions, which allowed us to delve deeper into the material created by Darger.
Finally, we were able to present the full project at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris in 2021 as a performance blending DJ and VJ elements, with visuals, sound, and narration featuring actor Denis Lavant. Once the pandemic was over, I explored virtual reality to further expand OUTSIDER, inspired by immersive experiences like Blanca Li’s *Le Bal de Paris*. Exploring worlds that don’t exist fascinated me, and I was eager to return to this medium. VR offers an amazing opportunity for a suspended experience where one can explore benevolent, dreamlike worlds.
How did you approach the VR medium?
I’ve always had an organic approach to my creations, which gives me a way of moving forward that’s almost indestructible. My artistic practice is open and unrestricted. With Gotan Project, we already mixed sound and visuals, constantly seeking new challenges. The pandemic pushed us to find new ways to share our music, reimagine concerts, and communicate our work.
Transmedia and VR are part of this movement, and I came to them naturally in search of new ways to share my stories with the public. I also wanted to offer something handmade and accessible, avoiding a futuristic vision of VR limited to a few enthusiasts. INSIDER-OUTSIDER is the culmination of OUTSIDER, bringing the audience closer to what we want to offer.
Thanks to a collaboration with Lucid Realities (Chloé Jarry, Alessandra Bogi), the idea of a VR version of OUTSIDER took shape. We share a passion for contemporary art and the habit of integrating various artistic practices. I also came with a wealth of existing content: the story, images, music. The challenge was to transpose it all into virtual reality while incorporating music as an interactive element, exploring how musical interactions could function within a narrative space.
The idea was to bring all our work on OUTSIDER into the VR medium, which ties seamlessly into Darger’s imaginary-focused work. For him, the real world wasn’t suitable; he led a difficult life, with little social satisfaction. All this inspired me to create an immersive version of OUTSIDER, INSIDER-OUTSIDER, as a way to expand upon Darger’s world. It’s like creating a piece of music inspired by something you’ve just seen or read—the blend of genres is always enriching for me.
Credits
A VR experience by Nicolas Thépot
With contributions to the script by Catherine Sauvat, François Dareau,
With the voices of Jordi Bataille-Lopez (Juan Larrea), Manon Rony (Dora Maar)
Produced by Chloé Jarry
A Lucid Realities production
In co-production with Musée National Picasso, Paris VIVE Arts
Original music by Rémi Boubal
With the support of CNC
With the invaluable collaboration of Musée National Picasso-Paris for historical content and archives
Art Director: Nicolas Thépot, Hugo Peillet
3D Graphics: Hugo Peillet, Léa Dervyn, Valentine Maugard, Romy Desmargez
Lead Developer: Paul Viudes
Tech Artists: Théotime Calandra, Gaël Didier-Bezault
Sound Design: Côme Jalibert, Paloma Menighetti, Nathan Benard, Studio Cosmotone Production Manager: Emma Genet
Production Assistants: Maxime Goletto, Valéria Ilyashenko
Administration: Romain Hirschmann, Juliette Fontaine, Benjamin Zenou
Musée national Picasso-Paris
President: Cécile Debray
Director: Julien Sérignac
Collections and research: Sébastien Delot, director
Production: Sophie Daynes-Diallo, director
Communications and outreach: Leslie de Ferran-Lechevallier, director
Resources and finance: Pierre Vialle, director
Building services, operations, security, and systems information: Lila Dida, director
Director of the Picasso Museum Foundation Académie des beaux-arts: Kara Lennon Casanova