Theatre, photography, music and live body-painting will all come together March 16 to create Bleu Nuit, an immersive art experience at the Falldown Gallery.
Nilton de Menezes, a multimedia artist and Carleton grad, said the event is just what Ottawa needed. He described it as “something a little provocative, but yet very artistic.”
De Menezes directed Irene Barrot Vasquez while she was creating the photo series, and he produced the music under his moniker NDMA.
NDMA is a reflection of de Menezes’ entire artistic approach, he said.
“I wanted to incorporate music fashion and visual arts to make my music not just about listening, but also the visual aspect and a whole lifestyle,” said de Menezes, who also studied theatre.
The music itself is meant to complement and contrast the soft, relaxed aesthetic of the photographs: a strong beat comes in from the start, and the track morphs into an infectious rhythm which continually builds. The intimate environment also makes the experience more immersive and emotionally interactive.
Ariane Beauchamp, who has a background in visual arts and has worked as a painter and illustrator, joined de Menezes in producing Bleu Nuit.
“The way [my models] move inspires me, but for the most part they are still models and paintings being brought to life,” she explained. “They’re like a live canvas for me.”
The photography collection, titled Business, Casual, Fun, focuses on female empowerment in the ’60s.
Given the relatively conservative cultural climate in Ottawa, depicting subject matter so overtly sexual is a risk.
“Hopefully, the audience will appreciate nudity beyond it being just sexual, and that is the biggest gamble,” Beauchamp said.
