The ‘walking figure,’ which has made the English collective of artists and designers famous, now crosses the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore: a digital film work to celebrate the union between contemporary digital technologies and the historical and artistic heritage of the already digitally archived location. On 6 September 2024, it premieres at the Longhena Library; on 8 September 2024, it will be in Linz at the international festival Ars Electronica.
Chameleon derives from the digital and creative knowledge of this artistic collective and the wealth of material produced by the Fondazione Giorgio Cini. This includes the comprehensive scanning of the entire Island of San Giorgio, undertaken as a unique operation of conservation and documentation of architectural and historical heritage, thanks to the collaboration with the Factum Foundation based in Madrid.
Chameleon is a creature that transforms by changing matter, color, and texture. Chameleon roams the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore in a visionary and ultra-high-definition walk, guiding viewers for twelve minutes through the environments that once served as a monastery and now host the Institutes, Study Centers, and libraries of the Foundation; it enters the Hall of Tapestries, contemplates the Wedding at Cana and crosses the woods with the Vatican Chapels. Unlike other works featuring ‘the walking figure’, Chameleon transforms, while in motion, with the colors, gardens, cloisters, and tapestries it encounters.
Chameleon is a project of Universal Everything, a collective of media artists, experience designers and future makers founded in 2004. Their positive approach to the future and focus on the audience brings their artworks, brand collaborations and prototype designs to life. Chameleon is an initiative of ARCHiVe (Analysis and Recordings of Cultural Heritage in Venice), the project department of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini dedicated to technological research for the digital preservation of cultural heritage and archives. Chameleon’s partner is Ars Electronica, the annual festival of art, technology and society held since 1979 in Linz, Austria, which has become an international reference point.
For its expertise in innovative communication projects and in the European platform S+T+ARTS (Science and Technologies in Arts), T6 Ecosystems was asked by the Fondazione Giorgio Cini to collaborate in the development of this project.