ELECTRO Exhibition Explores Dance Music Culture at Biennale's CIMM in Mestre

On September 23, the Biennale di Venezia's Centro di Informatica Musicale e Multimediale (CIMM) in Mestre opened ELECTRO, a major exhibition on electronic music's social value and visionary pioneers. Curated by Jean-Yves Leloup, the show previously ran at Paris's Philharmonie and was brought to Italy by Biennale president Paolo Baratta. It traces dance music's cultural revolution from Detroit club culture to raves and the second Summer of Love (late 1980s–1990s) to mainstream festivals. Outside CIMM, Soundwalk Collective's multichannel installation 'Oscillation' evokes Berlin's Berghain. The 'Walking Cube' by 1024 Architecture and Jason Cook is a dynamic sculpture that moves and emits industrial techno sounds, alluding to the concrete blocks demolished in 2017 by mayor Luigi Brugnaro to combat drug dealing. Inside, Bruno Peinado's works reference disco balls and ecstasy pills. Laurent Garnier curated 11 playlists for 'Core', an interactive LED installation by 1024 Architecture. The second section features Jean-Michel Jarre's 'Imaginary Studio' with rare synthesizers and a laser harp, Moritz Simon Geist's MR-808 Interactive robot sound installation, Jacob Khrist's 'Divination' photos, and Daft Punk performance videos. CIMM also offers a recording studio and workshops for 11 DJs and 12 producers, tutored by Guglielmo Bottin, Bob Benozzo, Sergio Messina, Spiller, and Fabrizio Mammarella.