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A space lit in the three primary colours – red, green and blue – is open to visitors of the France Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Encapsulating a magical experience, the three rooms simply exist for the audience to enjoy the colours. The temporary exhibition, ‘Chromosaturation, 1965/2013’, which is the original work of the late Carlos Cruz-Diez, will open today (December 13) and close on January 14, 2022. Your entry into the chambers is free of cost.
Image Credit: Guillaume Argento/France Pavilion
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Originally conceptualized by Cruz-Diez in 1965, Chromosaturation immerses visitors in a complete monochromatic environment, stimulating their perceptions of colour. The Franco-Venezuelan artist studied colours for five decades, and the exhibition is a synthesis of his work. Where do the colours come from? The chambers are illuminated by regular white LED lights overhead that have special hue filters on them.
Image Credit: Guillaume Argento/France Pavilion
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Carlos Cruz Jr (pictured), Chairman of Cruz-Diez Foundation’s Advisory Council and General Director of Atelier Cruz-Diez, said he was proud to be carrying forward his father’s manifesto of wanting people to “really experience colour”.
Image Credit: Guillaume Argento/France Pavilion
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Carlos Cruz added: “My father always said that colour exists alone, even though it is always associated with a shape such as a green tree or a red apple. But this exhibition demonstrates that it is autonomous. There is no storytelling. You make up your own experience – an experience of colour. It’s very charismatic.”
Image Credit: Guillaume Argento/France Pavilion
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The latest representation of his work is a collaborative effort between the France Pavilion, La Patinoire Royale - Galerie Valérie Bach, Atelier Cruz-Diez Paris and the Cruz Diez Foundation. Lead by Cruz Jr, the Cruz-Diez’ principles are firmly in place in order to preserve and advance the legacy of this pioneering visual artist.
Image Credit: Guillaume Argento/France Pavilion
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Cruz Jr’s daughter Fabiana Cruz, a visual musician, is also a custodian of the space. “You’ll first see vivid blue and after a while this fades to white. Some people even close their eyes and see different colours when they open them again. Many also conduct their own experiments: they wear white or see how their phone interacts. My grandfather wanted it to be both a very personal and very positive experience of enjoying colour without an attachment to either form or space.”
Image Credit: Guillaume Argento/France Pavilion
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Visitors can find the temporary exhibition towards the end of their pavilion journey on the ground floor.
Image Credit: Guillaume Argento/France Pavilion