Tomás Saraceno's 'On Air' Transforms Palais de Tokyo

Tomás Saraceno's 'On Air' at Palais de Tokyo, curated by Rebecca Lamarche-Vadel, is the latest in the museum's 'cartes blanches' series, following Philippe Parreno (2013), Tino Sehgal (2016), and Camille Henrot (2017). The exhibition, running until January 6, 2019, eschews concrete objects in favor of energies, ephemeral architectures, and the invisible. The first floor is dark, featuring 'Webs of At-Tent(s)ion' with 76 spider webs in glassless cases, 'Sounding The Air' with five spider filaments that translate vibrations into sound, and 'Event Horizon' allowing visitors to hear vibrations from spiders living in the building. 'Particular Matter(s) Jam Session' uses a light beam to capture airborne particles and convert data into music. The basement is bright and white, with 'Aeroglyphs' (pens suspended from balloons dripping ink made from Mumbai pollution), 'Spider maps' (spider webs on paper), and 'A Thermodynamic Imaginary' (video projections creating evolving light landscapes). 'Algo-R(H)I(Y)Thms', shown at the 2009 Venice Biennale, invites interaction. The multidisciplinary project includes 'Museo Aero Solar' (a flying museum made of plastic bags since 2007) and 'Aerocene' (an international group imagining fossil-fuel-free air living). Events include 'ON AIR live with…' sessions on October 26, November 23, and December 14.