Xanadu

Set against a nightclub backdrop featuring a giant mirror ball, the installation Xanadu displays rapid-fire sequences of images of crowds, military parades and terrorist attacks on four screens, interspersed with jingles. An imaginary place, Xanadu takes its title from the soundtrack taken from the film of the same name, performed by Grease star Olivia Newton-Jones.

The four films presented – Signs of the Times, Heaven’s Little Helper, Patriot Act and Judgment Day – explore, in turn, the recent history of cults, the actions of major political figures of globalisation, and fanatical religious movements. Drawing on the visual style of MTV music videos, the clips are synchronised and projected in succession in a clockwise direction, culminating in a chaotic grand finale where all the screens broadcast images and sound. Captivating and apocalyptic, Xanadu compiles visual archives of the major, ill-fated figures of the 20th century (from Charles Manson to Luc Jouret of the Order of the Solar Temple…), giving the viewer the feeling of witnessing the end of the world.