Jan Robert Leegte's 'Performing a Landscape' at Centre des arts, Enghien-les-Bains

Jan Robert Leegte's immersive video installation 'Performing a Landscape' is on view at the Centre des arts in Enghien-les-Bains until February 28, 2021, as part of the group exhibition 'La Nature reconfigurée'. The work uses nine video channels and hyperrealist game engine technologies to simulate a lush landscape that appears more real than nature, complete with climate disruptions. Leegte assembled the scene from 3D object libraries and interactive behaviors, adjusting tree species, cloud types, and wind effects. The installation transforms the gallery space, making viewers feel transported into a fabricated environment. Screens within the projection depict extreme weather events like floods and submerged ruins, referencing climate change and civilization's hubris. Dominique Moulon's review draws parallels to Giorgione's 'The Tempest' and Jean Baudrillard's concept of hyperreality, noting that the landscape is a simulation of something that never existed. The work invites reflection on humanity's ability to shape environments through applications, akin to urban planning or decorating a room. Leegte's piece is courtesy of Upstream Gallery, Amsterdam.