The windowed storefront corner of Canterbury Records has been transformed into a mesmerizing living art exhibit by Multi-media photographic and installation artist Christophe Piallat.
“What Lies Inside, Stays Inside” is Pallet’s first solo exhibition that features sculptures that continue to grow and change as the artist creates new visual experiences every day.
“I wanted to create an exhibit rooted in ephemerality. Everything inside the gallery is meant to be only there for a certain amount of time, reflecting a moment and the passing of moments,” said Multi-media photographic and installation artist Christophe Piallat.
Pallet’s artistic background working in film, stage building and commercial art has allowed him to develop his unique style he calls “living photography” and is the main inspiration for “What lies Inside, Stays Inside”.
“These installations represent a moment in time sculpturally. They transform material in to millions of tiny photographs. They change through out the day and explode at night. They breathe and shake, taunting the viewer to see if it could fall apart just by the lightest touch,” explained Pallet.
The sculptures are created from foil, wood and plastic and are used to manipulate the light sources that are coming in to the building.
“The light from outside constantly changes, whereby the installations constantly change. It is a way to capture light spatially not pictorially,” said Piallat.
The eye-catching foil sculpture engulfs the front window and continues to grow from the floor to the ceiling with similar sculptures inside the exhibit fastened all over the walls and ceiling above.
“It affects the viewer’s bio- rhythms, and illuminates their way around the gallery. I would say light carries a presence equal to, if not more, than all the physical objects the viewer sees in the space,” said Pallet.
The installation took about a month to fully construct and was different from past exhibits Piallat has been involved with.
“It was almost a performance piece, especially when I worked in the front window. People could not understand what I was doing. That was different and very enjoyable,” said Piallat. “The one-month build was the most physically and conceptually demanding I have ever had.”
Piallat has been part of multiple solo and group exhibitions including an installation in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and San Francisco Airport Museum, the Natural World Museum, 2015 SCOPE Basel, 2012 1st International Biennale of Santorini, and 2010 Holland Paper Biennial at the CODA Museum, according to a press release.
Piallat plans to keep “What Lies Inside, Stays Inside” up and running until October. He is currently gearing up to participate in the Lumina Light Festival in Cascais, Portugal, where he will feature a large-scale installation inside the Cathedral Igreja dos Navegantes.
“When the show is over, it will disappear and its only record will be the photographs,” said Piallat.
“What Lies Inside, Stays Inside” is located at 805 E. Colorado Blvd and is free to the public.
To book appointments to view “What Lies Inside, Stays Inside” call (310) 801-1659.
For more information, visit http://christophepiallat.com.
