29th GIFF: Electronic music icon Jean-Michel Jarre in the spotlight
The 29th edition of the Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF, November 3 – 12) will pay tribute to the legendary composer, performer, producer and creator of immersive Experiences, Jean-Michel Jarre. He will be presented with the Film & Beyond Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music and the digital arts, and will be giving a masterclass (November 7). Jean-Michel Jarre will also be attending the international premiere of his latest immersive creation, The Eye and I (Jean-Michel Jarre and Hsin-Chien Huang, 2023, TW), which will be shown in the Virtual Territories immersive park.
A visionary artist at the cutting edge of new technologies
A visionary artist and a key figure in electronic music, Jean-Michel Jarre has distinguished himself throughout his career with his avant-garde vision of art and his keen interest in new technologies. His musical career began in the 70s alongside pioneers such as Pierre Schaeffer and he has gone on to sell over 85 million albums worldwide, establishing his status as a master of the genre. Jean-Michel Jarre has made his mark on the music industry with memorable works such as the legendary album Oxygène and his many extraordinary concerts. His creativity is also closely linked to his exploration of new trends in technology (such as AI and the metaverse). He has excelled in the production of spectacular audiovisual experiences, producing concerts in the metaverse and creating immersive works. In 2022, he was appointed Chairman of the new “immersive creation” commission of the National Centre of Cinematography and Animated Pictures (Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée [CNC]), created to encourage the emergence of immersive works in France. As part of the GIFF, Jean-Michel will talk about his extraordinary career and his interest in new technologies in a public masterclass on November 7.
The Eye and I
Jean-Michel Jarre & Hsin-Chien Huang | 2023 | TW | 40’ | International premiere
Jean-Michel Jarre will be attending the world premiere of his latest immersive production The Eye and I, created in collaboration with Taiwanese artist Hsin-Chien Huang. Drawing on the original meaning of the word “surveillance”, which once referred to “eyes in the sky”, this collective immersive experience looks at the omnipresence of this phenomenon in contemporary society. This installation is arranged in 12 rooms/cells with a panopticon structure – a set-up which allows those in control to see without being seen; this enables spectators to explore the history and development of virtual and physical surveillance in the 21st century, as used generally in society and specifically in institutions. The Eye and I will be shown as a world premiere in the Virtual Territories immersive park throughout the GIFF event (November 3 – 12).
“If the Lumière brothers were alive today, they would be creating in the metaverse,” stated Jean-Michel Jarre.
Each year, the Film & Beyond Award presents an interdisciplinary artist with a Lifetime Achievement award. Jean-Michel Jarre is the latest recipient of this award, which has previously been presented to Apichatpong Weerasethakul (2016), Abel Ferrara (2017), Peter Greenaway (2018), Park Chan-wook (2019), Woodkid (2020), Riad Sattouf (2021) and Alexandre Astier (2022).
