There are moments when digital art ceases to be a flat background image and becomes a physical presence shaping the architecture of space. Far from being a cold medium, technology transforms into a resonance channel where the body, light, and sound frequencies engage in a direct dialogue. It is precisely at this intersection between the mathematics of code and the poetic charge of space where the work of Myriam Bleau lives.

Trained in jazz guitar, holding a master’s degree in electroacoustic music from the Université de Montréal, and with a background in literary studies, the Canadian composer, digital artist, and performer bridges this conceptual dimension with cutting-edge technological research. Bleau returns to Buenos Aires as part of the 8th Edition of MUTEK.AR. On Wednesday, October 7, the Martín Coronado Hall at the Teatro San Martín will host Hypermobility within the framework of A/Visions, the festival's flagship program dedicated to large-scale audiovisual experiences that redefine the relationship between image and sound.

When Code Feels Like Magic

To talk about Myriam Bleau's sound worlds is to enter a practice of worldbuilding where acoustics know no rigid boundaries. Bleau does not adhere to a single aesthetic; on the contrary, she inhabits a plurality of languages ranging from the meditative pulse of ambient and the immersive density of drone to the fractured structures of deconstructed techno and free experimental exploration. For her, sound is the cornerstone from which to construct living architectures.

Bleau places the body and gestural movement at the center of the stage: her physical movements trigger the machines, transforming light and sound live. In the artist's vision, technology does not act as a subordinate tool but as an active collaborator with which the piece is co-created in real time. Reflecting on this fascinating encounter between digital artifice and human perception, Bleau summarizes that "when you see an incredible technology for the first time, it feels like magic".

Sound as Sculpted Matter

In Hypermobility, laser beams cross the auditorium over the audience to create volumetric roofs, tunnels, and planes that reconfigure the space during the performance. The artist achieves a precise synchronization where the audio signal directly modulates the laser motors: the exact moment a sound is produced, it activates a light beam that gives it shape in the air. In this way, the piece shifts away from the traditional idea of a "light show," inviting the listener to transcend hearing and connect with the volume of sound matter.

Through that light that projects shapes, geometries, and words in motion, Bleau introduces implicit subtexts into the space. "The idea is for the listener to visualize the sound. I draw words, and it's more about visual energy", the artist explains. Through this luminous typography suspended in the air, subtle terms emerge as a reminder that even the most abstract luminescent gesture carries intent, bridging the sensory experience with a reflection on contemporary narratives and languages.

The Authenticity of Her Practice

Bleau's commitment to reality is profound; she defines herself as a creator with a stance. Thus, in Hypermobility, she explores the social, political, and environmental implications of modern mobility: incessant global displacement, the speed of tourism, and the tensions of the contemporary artist who must physically travel to circulate their work, facing the contradictions of the same system.

However, the political allegories implicit in her work do not present themselves as an overt dogma; instead, they pulse subtly beneath every gesture, pixel, and sound wave. "I like using metaphors", the artist acknowledges, but without letting the underlying messages overshadow the sensible experience. Above all, she wants "the piece to function as a work of art".

From Spinning Tops to Lasers

This will not be the first time local audiences witness her work. Myriam Bleau's first visit to MUTEK.AR took place in the 2018 edition, when she dazzled with Soft Revolvers, a performance in which she spun four transparent acrylic tops equipped with sensors that transformed rotational movement into real-time musical data.

From a very young age, Bleau had her path clear: "to dedicate herself to music." However, her background in literature brought a literary nuance to the conceptual dimension of her projects—an inquiry that led her to explore digital matter in pieces like Unsculpt (2021), where she subverts the idea of form and the physical body, and Second Self (2024), where she questions how digital avatars redefine identity. From that pioneer use of spinning tops during her first visit to Buenos Aires to the monumental display of laser light beams that defines her creative present, the artist has traveled a path where technology always bends to serve the body and space.

A Gathering at A/Visions

Myriam Bleau's return to MUTEK.AR adds a new milestone to this year's program: a proposal where light and frequencies converge to redefine the contours of the room. Far from being a purely technical display, the work inhabits that territory where code becomes living matter and light acquires a sculpted weight.

Ultimately, although this principle guides diverse pieces across her career, the engine driving Myriam Bleau's creations maintains an unyielding pulse. As the artist herself reflects, "the nature of the interfaces, I think, affords for playing with the space and creating these situations that require a choreographical thinking.” In Hypermobility, this same logic shifts from the body to the laser beam, transforming the stage into a dynamic dialogue, perfectly in tune with the avan t-garde and immersive spirit that characterizes the MUTEK universe. Thus, Bleau will shape the listening experience and draw living structures in the air, transforming the theater into a purely poetic territory.

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