Closing Ceremony Installation at Chapelle Saint Catherine Auvillar, France
2023
Closing Ceremony Installation in Progress
2023

Many thanks to the Virginia Center for Creative Arts (VCCA) and VCCA-France for their support of this installation that takes place July 10-18, 2023 at a Chapel in Auvillar, France along the Garonne River and one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela.


As in the previous iteration in Brooklyn Bridge Park (2019), the installation considers cemeteries as their own social network and takes a view to trends in memorialization now that many physical cemeteries worldwide are at capacity. A collaborative project with video designer Lianne Arnold, the installation includes mobiles created with basswood, vellum and string representing monuments and symbols in silhouette, from East coast cemeteries as well as a 20 minute video projection that incorporates drawings, photographs, animations, sound and mapped projections. The concepts and trends, research-driven, have been compiled in a booklet written by Paul D'Agostino and translated into French by Morgan Cini. This is an on-going project that will be updated with each new siting.


Follow our project on instagram @lesliekerby, @liannearnold


The photos represent a timeline of the installation. The Chapel has been open to the public as the installation unfolds. We have had visits and great conversations with neighbors in the village as well as from pilgrims traversing the Camino trail.

Closing Ceremony Book Cover
2023
Book

Booklet text written by Paul D'Agostino, Ph.D. (writer, artist). Text excerpt translated by Morgan Cini. Copies of the book can be ordered through this link: https://www.blurb.com/b/11568204-closing-ceremony

Closing Ceremony - projection mapping video behind the sculpture

Arnold providing the projection mapping to incorporate the video into various elements in the Chapel environment. Video clip below.

Vernissage
July 13 2023

Welcome comments from Mairie Olivier Renaud with translation by VCCA-France director Cheryl Fortier. Photos: John Alexander

Reception outside the Chapel

photo: Daniel Delsol

Closing Ceremony video of installation

Video from the site showing the projections of drawings, photographs, animations and light as well as projection mapping of a statue and fresco in the Chapel.

The following photographs were taken at night without any ambient illumination.

This original wall fresco has been almost completely wiped away, buried under many layers.

The village is trying to restore it. Working with information from the local officials we were able to bring some of the animals and a portion of the figure at the top back into view using drawing and light. The prior photograph shows the wall before the projection reveals the elements.

This original wall fresco has been almost completely wiped away, buried under many layers.

The village is trying to restore it. Working with information from the local officials we were able to bring some of the animals and a portion of the figure at the top back into view using drawing and light. The prior photograph shows the wall before the projection reveals the elements.

Closing Ceremony indeed

Photo: Sabine van den Berg

Photo: Sabine van den Berg

Photo: Sabine van den Berg

Talk about Closing Ceremony in Florence, Italy
2024

Lianne Arnold and I were invited to present the Closing Ceremony project as a lecture to the professors and students of the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence Italy.