MATTE PROJECTS PARTNERS WITH SSENSE TO CREATE IMAGINARY CITIES CHAPTER II AT THE BURBERRY STORE IN CHICAGO.
SSENSE is collaborating with Burberry in celebration of the brand’s Burberry Alpine at Night capsule collection through a physical and digital world that continues their Imaginary Cities storytelling.
MATTE was tasked with developing a creative that encompassed a physical installation, audio/visual art pieces, as well as an event with performance and content capture.
CREATIVE PROCESS
MATTE created a series of installations where artifacts of the natural word merge with industry. Executing inside of the Burberry store gave as an opportunity to fully transform a retail environment into a gallery space. We contrasted the soft tones and textures of the Burberry store with a more industrial minimalism that felt true to SSENSE, bringing in stainless steel, exposed wires and sleek custom fixtures.
We were inspired by seeing technology as a way to find greater harmony with the natural world, rather than something that exists outside of it. We approached visuals from how machines interpret visuals, finding parallels between the natural and artificial world through algorithms, and letting technology guide the process.
AUDIO + VISUAL
OSCAR ZABALA
We worked closely with MATTE Originator Oscar Zabala on creating visual installations, and Alex MacKay for audio pieces in the environment.
AI generated imagery exploring the similarities in the patterns of nature, city, and industry populate AI and Projection mapped spaces throughout the store. These pieces are audio reactive in nature, providing guest with a truly unique and generative experience as they navigate the store.
The Era Footwork
As a nod to the heritage and import of Chicago’s influence across house and electronic music, we will stage the performance in separate sections––flowing room by room of the installation––using a common rhythmic structure used to develop these compositions.
The Era Footwork Crew performs a movement piece that scales the flagship staircase, facing the exterior of the building simultaneous to the musical performance, intertwined. The artists incorporate our exhibit’s tech in their piece, utilizing the first-floor LED tiles along with drones in the performance, with cues and movement choreographed in sync with the dancers, democratized for an exterior crowd.
RAVYN LENAE
"CHICAGO IS ONE OF THOSE RARE PLACES IN THE WORLD THAT HAS A SPARK. WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE WATER IN CHICAGO, I FEEL THEM. BECAUSE CREATIVELY, IT HAS SERVED AS A BACKDROP FOR SOME OF THE BEST ARTISTS IN THE WORLD, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S MUSIC, DESIGNERS, FOOD—IT REALLY INSPIRES ME IN ALL OF THOSE WAYS."
— Ravyn Lenae (SSENSE)
MATTE had the pleasure of teaming up with the classically trained singer from Chicago’s south side.
She finished the performance with an immersive set within the art piece on floor two.
A SERIES OF ON-SITE DOCUMENTARY IMAGES OF CITY ARCHITECTURE, EVENT AND INDIVIDUAL HEADLINING TALENT PORTRAITS, ACCOMPANIED BY A WRITTEN PIECE WITH THE PERFORMERS IN CONVERSATION ABOUT THEIR HOMETOWN.
"I GREW UP ON CHICAGO HOUSE [AND] IT’S HAD A HUGE EFFECT ON THE WAY I APPROACH MUSIC. WHEN I HEAR CERTAIN SONGS, IT TRANSPORTS ME BACK TO BEING A LITTLE GIRL AT FAMILY FUNCTIONS, AND EVERYBODY STEPPING. I CAN SMELL THE FOOD. IT REALLY PUTS ME IN THAT PLACE."
— Ravyn Lenae (SSENSE)
