Ali Eslami, Mamali Shafahi - nerd_funk. Seven-year project finally on show at MU Hybrid Art House, Eindhoven

Posted

 

Four years ago, already, I posted an article about nerd_funk, and what I saw as the emergence of a whole new genre. In it, I called nerd_funk 'an ambitious, multi-faceted project by Ali Eslami and Mamali Shafahi,' and explained that the aim was 'to curate an archive of thousands of Instagram stories Ali and Mamali see as relevant to their interests (...) and use it as a base of source material for new kinds of experience for users/spectators: immersive experiences, which may be seen as artworks, film, documentary, entertainment, or all of these and more.' These experiences include a major VR component.

It has been a long-term project, as reflected in the subtitle - 'A Seven-Year Odyssey' - of the exhibition now on (April to June 2025) at the MU Hybrid Art House in Eindhoven. The installation combines three eight-minute VR experiences with other video-based activities, fairground-style games, a library and an assortment of related artworks, designed as a journey from the library space in the entrance, through a series of themed rooms, and back to the library.

I was invited to the opening (and kindly thanked in the acknowledgments), and took some photos while I was there. To me, this exhibition was unique: I hadn't seen anything of the kind before. It was interesting, fun, well designed and well finished. Ali and Mamali's VR experiences, the beating heart of it, are exceptionally vivid. Even the reproduction of the same VR content on the flat screens on the walls is more impressive than quite a lot of the digital video work we see in other artists' exhibitions. (As mentioned in my 2021 post, phase one of the VR content, consisting of two chapters, was awarded the Golden Calf for interactive work at the 2020 Netherlands Film Festival.)

Congratulations to Ali and Mamali, along with the talented professionals who worked with them on the installation, and kudos to MU. It's been a long slog: VR work is hard and time-consuming as well as expensive, and finding funding is a job in itself. But the end result is outstanding.



 
 


 
 






 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Paris tips: visiting

Posted
Image
  Note : this post and the April 28 one, about eating out, were written for American friends visiting Paris, one of them for the first time, who wanted a few tips from a local. They were staying in a hotel just off République... ***** I guess you'll have your own guide book to help you plan your visit. But whichever one (or more) it is, I thought you might find the Michelin Green Guide 's tourist map of Paris (below) helpful, as it makes it easy to locate the main sights. I think you'll find if you click on the map, it will blow up to a more legible size. The inset box at top left explains Michelin's ratings system, similar to its approach to restaurant ratings. With a decent guide book, you won't need much help from me, but I just wanted to add one or two items that visitors might miss, plus an idea for a north-south walk (or south-north, as you wish) that makes a change from the usual main east-west (or west-east!) drag. Also, finally, one neglected but unique mus...
Read more

Paris tips: eating out

Posted
Image
Note : this post and the April 30 one, about things to see, were written for American friends visiting Paris, one of them for the first time, who wanted a few tips from a local. They were staying in a hotel just off République... ***** THREE STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS These are the three places I'd most strongly recommend during your visit, as I think they offer a nice variety of quality Parisian eating experiences. 1. Dinner at Le Train Bleu When the underlying idea was to recommend places off the tourist track, it might seem odd to start with Le Train Bleu, at the Gare de Lyon. But this is surely one of the most extraordinary restaurant spaces in the world. You can only experience it in Paris, of course, and I usually take any first-time visitor there for dinner. It's Lyon-influenced brasserie food at more-than-brasserie prices, but they have simple set-price menus at 55 and 74 euros, and anyway, as usual, the final bill depends above all on what you drink. It's worth it (and...
Read more