One million dots, by hand: Jules Julien at the Obama Presidential Center.
Bonjour, This summer, the Obama Presidential Center opened on Chicago's South Side. Its public art program is one of the most ambitious in recent memory, more than 28 site-specific commissions, from Nick Cave and Jenny Holzer to Maya Lin and Theaster Gates. Among them: Jules Julien. Represented by Bisou. Two permanent works, two years in the making. The centrepiece, All Together, is an immersive digital mural on a circular screen. It's built from more than a million dots, every one placed and coloured by hand. Each dot stands for a single person. As the mural shifts, they gather into images of a hopeful future, parks, businesses, families, a reminder that lasting change is built from small contributions by many. Nothing about it is automated. That detail is what surprised President Obama most when the two met before the opening. A few things Julien told me about the making of it:
His own line for it says it best: a kind of Yes We Can, but on his own scale. Yes, I Can, place and colour a million dots by hand. He also told us new works are coming to Bisou very soon, meanwhile check out his available work right here.
Bisou Gallery, Levantkade 85, Amsterdam |