They began with a single roll of tape, frenetically navigating the space between columns with the help of a ladder and a lot of creativity. Ten days and twelve sets of hands later, Tape Paris was completed at Palais de Tokyo for 'Inside,' an exhibition of site-specific projects designed to be interactive and introspective. Tape Paris delves into the physical and psychological experience of interior space through an experiential model of exploration. Visitors travel through a matrix of elastic tunnels suspended precariously above the traditional exhibition space, as guests observe their movements from below. The biomorphic skin is a playground for the senses, offering opportunities to climb, relax, and discover.
Enter the elastic world of Tape Paris after the break
Human anatomy inspired the womb-like spaces of Tape Paris, taking the form of veins circulating people rather than blood. Created by Numen/For Use, a design collective co-founded by Sven Jonke, Christoph Katzler and Nikola Radeljković, the project responds to an unconscious desire for comforting, ethereal spaces. The tape membrane reacts to interior movements while retaining its shape, showing a symphony of circulation within the suspended veins.
Palais de Tokyo was the original heart of Modern Art in Paris but was usurped by the Centre Pompidou in the 1970s. The building sat empty until 2002 when it was reinvigorated for new public use, and is now the frequent home of contemporary art exhibitions. The soaring spaces at Palais de Tokyo provided ample opportunities for the creators of Tape Paris to expand upwards, creating a new spatial awareness for typically dead overhead spaces. Tape Paris serves as the point of entry for the exhibition, welcoming guests as they acclimatize to the immersive nature of the 29 interactive projects.
The project is presented by fashion retailer COS and will be open to the public until January 11th, 2015 at Palais de Tokyo in Paris. Find out more about Tape Paris, Numen/For Use and their innovative spatial sculptures here.
