Gaultier in Paris, the Public as a Muse!

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts‘ exhibition Jean Paul Gaultier has travelled the world and wowed nearly 1.5 millions visitors since its inauguration in Montreal in 2011. On April 1, 2015, the Grand Palais welcomes the Gaultier exhibition, with a participatory installation that we created specifically for its Parisian debut. A significant leg of the tour for the French «enfant-rebelle» of fashion.

Working closely with the curators at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the onsite team at the Grand Palais, Moment Factory developed a concept to animate the Escalier des arts, a staircase located in between the first and second floors of the museum. Inspired by Gaultier’s open-minded approach to models from all walks of life, and the notion of the fashion catwalk, the Escalier des arts becomes the Staircase of the Muses. Contrasting the classic baroque lines of the undulating staircase with bold imagery reminiscent of Gaultier’s in-your-face approach to haute couture, the installation invites the public to make their mark on the catwalk.

The illuminated stairs beckon the camera flashes simulate the frenzied atmosphere of a fashion show. Once at the top of the stairs, visitors trigger a camera that takes a snapshot of their silhouette. These images then form part of a generative design, featuring Gaultier motifs and palettes.

The resulting video composition is unique to each participant, and is projected on the large-scale backdrop of the stair landing. Always in flux, the projection runs continuously in real-time, remixing imagery from past visitors with new colours and motifs to form original visuals throughout the four months of the exhibition.

The Staircase of the Muses is a true celebration of the public, inviting them to become part of Gaultier’s festive narrative. It was an inspiration to work with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Grand Palais in honouring the work of one of our true fashion icons.

Moment Factory is a new media and entertainment studio specializing in the conception and production of multimedia environments combining video, lighting, architecture, sound and special effects to create remarkable experiences.