Louis-Philippe Rondeau^CA/QC

In his works, Louis-Philippe Rondeau develops devices that explore self-representation and performance in a playful and unconventional manner. His research-creation approach reveals as much a search for simplicity of design for users as an interest in the complexity of computer code and the execution of physical objects. While situating his research in the history of marginal photographic processes popularized in the 19th century, his works with digital images – unlike analog photography – do not imitate reality. His unusual instruments stem from an aspiration to uncover novel means of self-expression.

His research is focused on human representation and performance in a media-archeological context. It is inspired by a desire to reinterpret forgotten and overlooked forms of media, using contemporary digital tools. Sometimes reprising the mirror’s modus operandi, his interactive installations compel us to reconsider the conventions employed in the mediation of bodies, specifically those regarding the representation of space and time. Rondeau is a professor at the Digital Arts, Animation and Design School of Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (NAD-UQAC), and cofounder of the Mimesis laboratory of immersion, interaction and imagination. His practice stems from working in the area of digital visual effects in Montréal. He is also a member of the Hexagram research-creation network.