ABOUT
Every evening, between 5 p.m. and midnight, the bar staff randomly activates the installation: a camera captures the faces of clients, and when a buzzer is pressed, unpredictable visual effects emerge, transforming their appearance in real time on the venue’s screens. For 15 seconds, the image is hijacked, the identity altered, creating an experience that is both playful and surprising. This fleeting moment, at the intersection of play and performance, places the audience at the heart of a setup in which they become performers against their will.
With Jumbotron, Stella Jacob explores the dynamics of self-presentation and the role of technology in shaping our relationship with images. By appropriating a familiar format — the giant screen that captures and displays audiences during live events — she subverts its function to explore our fascination with the digital transformation of reality. Here, appearing on screen is neither controlled nor predictable: it is imposed, modified, hacked. This brief moment of exposure, festive and unexpected, plays with the thrill of seeing oneself under the gaze of others, as a spontaneous and playful take on the fifteen minutes of fame.
The installation fully embraces the energy of the venue, engaging with the festive and collective atmosphere of Une Folle Époque. Through this immersive and participatory work, the artist explores new forms of human connection brought about by technology and moving images.
Rooted in the identity of the bar, Jumbotron becomes a living part of the evening, transforming each moment into a shared, joyful, and ephemeral experience.
Text by Salomé Fau
Curated by Salomé Fau and Camille Martin
ART. 238 BIS x UNE FOLLE ÉPOQUE - LA ROCHELLE (FR)
IN-SITU
2025