Astrid Dalais and Kim Lenoir AN IMMERSION IN DIGITAL ART IMMERSION DANS L’ART DIGITAL Between walls constructed over two centuries ago in the Mauritian capital, there is a space called the House of Digital Art (HoDA). Having run many large-scale events in the past, Astrid Dalais and Kim Lenoir continue in their desire to offer an outlet for creativity from all walks of life. Entre des murs érigés il y a deux siècles dans la capitale mauricienne se trouve un espace dédié aux arts numériques, House of Digital Art (HoDA). Après avoir piloté des événements à grande échelle, Astrid Dalais et Kim Lenoir, restent ainsi fidèles à leur volonté d’offrir un exutoire à la création de tous les horizons. BY MICHEL GILBERT DEVILLE PHOTOGRAPHS KARL AHNEE I n the beginning, there was Porlwi, the name of the Mauritian capital in the Creole language and the brand name for a three-day festival that took place from 2015 to 2018. The Porlwi Festival was an event for all that transformed the city into a lively cultural space with giant projections, street concerts, installations, food festivals and much more. This festival was organised by the Mauritian company Move for Art in which Astrid Dalais and Kim Lenoir were two of the mainstays. With backgrounds in communications and event management – in Mauritius, France and the United States depending on their respective career paths – the two women share a passion for culture and artistic creation in all its forms. For both ladies, as well as the two other co-founders of the new company that runs HoDA, Mauritian Guillaume Jauffret and Austrian Jürgen Eric Loffler, creating a cultural project around the potential of digital technology was about projecting into the past, the present and the future. At Move for Art, they created Porlwi and its shows. HoDA sees them moving from the whole city as a spectacular stage to the bare interior of a 19th century building. It is the setting for creations by a dozen artists from all over the world – Europe, Mauritius, Reunion, Africa, India. Artists who use diverse techniques to express themselves through the prism of themes that have changed every season since July 2023. Visitors are invited to actively participate and explore the works using touchscreens and AI; changing an installation by moving some of its parts around; experiencing an immersive profusion of images and sounds that recreate the fascinating connection between humans and nature on the walls and floor of a room in darkness. THE PLACE TO BE “HoDA is unique in the Africa-Indian Ocean region and a showcase for the region’s creative talent,” say Astrid and Kim. “It is more than just a programme of themed exhibitions. It goes deeper than that: it’s about discovering the Indian Ocean region, the connection between artists, the cultural potential of digital technologies and the sensory and interactive experience that they bring.” Port Louis is a historic city, but also a city in need of revitalising, and it jumped at the chance of hosting this new museum. “HoDA is at the intersection of art, science and technology, society and design. We wanted this space to find its place in the capital and in a heritage building. Because our projects focus on heritage: buildings, music and language. We have explored light, sound, video and place in past exhibitions. HoDA therefore represents continuity.” Continuity, too, in its partnerships and its desire to go beyond Mauritian borders and offer an outlet for art that draws from diverse sources. Porlwi was “an opportunity to meet people, artists from Mauritius and the Indian Ocean region, private companies interested in patronage, and cultural associations”. This ecosystem helped HoDA to blossom, financed by Mauritian companies as well as an African, Caribbean, Pacific-EU fundings and by the interest of thousands of visitors. And so the House of Digital Art was born. A very real building to celebrate intangible, ephemeral and mobile works that offer a rich variety of experiences.
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