BEING GIANTS is an interactive mural. It’s an invitation to appear in monumental drawings that celebrate the use of imagination and intuition when challenged by constraints. The faces of participants are streamed live and become part of fleeting scenes. El Museu del Disseny is the canvas on which friends, family and strangers converge to embody the place of people in the city. The participatory projection is about chance encounters, exchanges and the power of context. The raw quality of the live footage and the spontaneous expressions of the participants animate the contemplative scenes, where time has stopped. This blending of individual identities into large-scale art adds a layer of personal connection, transforming the mural into a collective and participatory work of art, while breaking the ice for real-life interactions. By inserting audience members into the compositions, we bring together a range of vocabularies: Renaissance sculpture, graphic novel, large-scale Romantic paintings, symbolism, face-in-the-hole kitsch memorabilia and amateur Snap filters. The scenes are designed to resonate with the complexity of our world, where walking together can be either a joyous parade or a solidarity protest.

Artwork by Caroline Robert and Vincent Morisset (AATOAA Studio). Code by Nicolas S. Roy and Hugues Bruyère. Music by Philippe Lambert.

Vincent Morisset and Caroline Robert of Montreal’s AATOAA studio are known for works that combine craftsmanship and technology. In each of their projects, visitors are invited to become participants. These experiences put into perspective our relationship with others and how we view the world around us. Their astonishing world is materialised in various forms (interactive videos, public installations, extended reality, net art). They have collaborated artistically with Arcade Fire, Skrillex, and Sigur Rós. Their creations have been shown at the Venice Biennale, OFFF, Sundance, SXSW, and the Japan Media Arts Festival. They have won an Emmy, a Grammy, and several Webbys.