Miguel Chevalier’s Installations Are Absolutely Mind-Blowing

French artist Miguel Chevalier is known as one of the pioneers of digital and virtual art. Since 1978, he has focused exclusively on computers as an artistic means of expression. Many of his projects incorporate generative and interactive virtual reality installations projected on large scale, shown on Leds screen or LCD screen, sculptures created with a 3D printer or with laser-cut, holographic imagery, and other forms.

His digital work seems to be in constant metamorphosis, plunging the viewer into magical, poetic and very contemporary universes. “I like to create an immersive installation,” he explained in an interview with Visual Atelier 8. “Immersion is a central concept in my work because it gives the viewer new and unusual experiences in art and enriched the world of emotiveness. I am interested in developing multi-sensory creations that stimulate all the senses (sight, hearing, smell).”

The interactivity of his work also creates a playful dimension. “I exclusively employ sensors that physically involve one’s body and its mobility in space,” he says. “Either lived by a spectator on his own or by a group, always creates surprising and unexpected results.”

His work often references art history, reformulating it using computer tools. Through it, Chevalier investigates and explores recurrent themes such as nature and artifice, flows and networks, virtual cities and ornate designs. The result is images that are a rich source of insights into ourselves and our relationship with the world. Ideally experienced live, you can also capture a glimpse of his magical universes through Instagram: