generique is an interactive installation where images of the viewer the are superimposed with sequences of nature.

The sequences correspond to the red, green and blue channels of digital images and propose fire, foliage and water as equivalents. The viewer's movements and the synthesis with the animated sequences are analysed with a motion capture algorithm programmed with GridFlow and puredata. The amount of movement from the spectators triggers a change in the sequences.

Conceived as a critique of interactivity at the onset ; with its simple relationship to the viewer, the work manages to be immersive due to the mirror-like relationship it offers to the viewers. The sound elements are from Nathan Medema and Ross Birdwise.

generique's images were taken from the eyewire video catalog that provided images to creators of digital and print content. These commercial offerings of perfect and prefabricated yet 'natural' images to be another example of our interest to populate our most advanced mediums with representations of nature, a history visible from renaissance painting, photography, television to VR and 3d representations.

video documentation :
Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City, 2001

collection : Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal

exhibitions :

Where, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, April 23 to October 17, 2004. – Curator: Josée Belisle.

Alexandre Castonguay : Générique, The Glendon Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, January 15 to February 15, 2003. - Curator Marc Audette

Générique, Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City, Mexico, August 2001. – Curator: Antonio Oùton.

Alexandre Castonguay : générique, Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain, Montréal, Québec, november 24 to December 22, 2001.

Capter le réel; de la machine à l’œuvre, Musée régionale de Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, June 18 to September 10, 2000. Curator : Nathalie Côté.

Images sans paroles, CEGEP de Vieux-Montréal, Montréal, Québec, 1999.