Laura Colmenares Guerra
R€¥€R$€ / REVERSE, 2023
VR experience for Meta Quest 2
In Chapter 4 of R€¥€R$€, the viewers embark on an immersive raft ride on the Amazon. Through persuasive visuals and audio narrative, they learn about the importance and current state of the Amazon. More than half of the Amazon region, 66 per cent of it, is subject to permanent pressure due to human extractive practices such as oil and mineral exploitation, road infrastructure development, ranching, agricultural activity and hydroelectric plants. Deforestation, burning, and loss of carbon stocks are proof of the large-scale transformations taking place in Amazonia. The ancestral Indigenous Peoples' and the biome of the Rainforest are endangered by the rapid deforestation and exploitation of natural resources. The extractivist practices operating in the region have caused irreparable damage to these vital ecosystems, threatening the survival of countless species of plants and animals. The loss of these valuable resources impacts the local communities who rely on them for their livelihoods and has far-reaching global consequences. It is imperative that we take action to protect and preserve the Rainforest and its inhabitants before it's too late. R€¥€R$€ underlines the tensions present in the territory, where human, cultural and environmental aspects rub with power, economics and multinational interests in a context of climate stress in which importance of preserving this unique ecosystem is vital for the survival of the current life on Earth.
Duration = 7’29”
Credits:
Conception, direction, production, Laura Colmenares Guerra
Unreal developer, François Zajéga
Unreal environment & lighting, Samson Michel
Animation & compositing, Laura Colmenares Guerra
CG & VFX supervisor, Laura Colmenares Guerra
Sound design & Music composition, Loup Mormont
Amazon sound field recordings, Jana Irmert
Studio recordings, Antonin Simon
English VO, Emma Dingwall
French VO, Sarah Hebborn
Text editor, Camilla Colombo
Dutch VO, Nina Mallants
Portuguese VO, Fernanda Stefanski
Spanish VO, Laura Colmenares Guerra
Text corrections and translations, Anne Vereecken / Ellie McDonald / Joachim Devillé / Santiago Colmenares Guerra
REVERSE, Co-Produced by OHME
With the support of
Flanders – State of the Art
Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles
Pole Image Magelis – Charente Le Département
IMAGES
VIDEO LINK
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Laura Colmenares Guerra is a Colombian artist based in Brussels. Her main work axes are installation, sculpture, and digital narratives in 3D (animation, Virtual Reality, and ceramic 3D printing). She has a transversal research-based practice. Her work not only explores the impairment between contemporary Western societies and living ecosystems, the environment, and living beings but also delves into the politics of landscape and the notions of territory. Since 2018, Laura Colmenares Guerra has been dedicated to conceiving a body of work that addresses the geopolitical and neoliberal extractivist practices affecting the Amazon basin. Her work continues to serve as a critical and creative exploration of the pressing issues at the intersection of environment, society, and language. In the field of interactive installation, Laura employs technology to immerse viewers in an engaging and participatory experience. Her choice of interactive devices is designed to foster a profound comprehension of our individual and societal responsibilities toward the environment. In addition to her installation work, Laura's career includes a journey as a video performer. This began in the early Techno scene of Bogota and evolved into experimental live audiovisual performances alongside musicians. She simultaneously creates standalone audiovisual pieces by collaborating with composers and music labels. In 2023, her passion for techno and electronic music led her to start a DJ project under the alias of ULARA.
If you are interested in exhibiting or viewing this artistic VR experience, please send an email to us.
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