Marco Brambilla Named Artistic Director of Outernet Arts Programme for 2021

Outernet has launched a major public arts programme to be curated by legendary video installation artist Marco Brambilla.

Outernet London's floor-to-ceiling 23,000 square foot, 360 degree, 8K screens, make it the world’s largest digital exhibition venue. The unique location presents collaborating artists with the opportunity to bring world-class installations into the heart of London’s West End.

One of the first commissions will be a new piece by the performance artist Marina Abramović, described by the Royal Academy as “one of the most important performance artists in the world.” An exclusive version of the opera The Seven Deaths of Maria Callas directed by Abramovic and created in collaboration with Brambilla will feature on the screens at Outernet in 2021. Abramovic herself will appear at the venue as part of the one month run of the immersive installation. 

Brambilla, known to push the boundaries of what technology can achieve in terms of public art is himself creating a new a time-based generative sculpture to appear on the screens that will debut in 2021. Called Object to be Destroyed (enlarged) 2020 from Man Ray’s Object To Be Destroyed piece, the installation will wrap around the screens from floor to ceiling and change across the day. As each hour passes the eye starts near the top of the bar and the metronome keeps time with an extremely slow beat. As the day progresses the eye moves closer and closer to the base and the movement of the bar accelerates to become a blur. 

Marco Brambilla said:

"The Outernet Arts programme has at its heart a desire to create an intimacy between the viewer and the artist while presenting work on an unprecedented scale using state-of-the-art technology. Our programme is about accessibility and inclusiveness and I think the life-like aspect of the video screens will connect with our collective imagination in a very powerful way. Whilst in the space you will not feel you are viewing a screen but looking deep into a portal and another reality."

Marina Abramovic said:

"The Outernet Arts programme and curator Marco Brambilla are giving me a great opportunity to use the largest screens in the world to exhibit. I am very excited about this collaboration and the chance to present to the wider public my work The Seven Deaths of Maria Callas in such a unique way."

Read more in The Guardian