Argo
Musical installation
June 2018
Jacopo Baboni Schilingi

Artwork, presented during the exhibition Artists & Robots at the Grand Palais.

ARGO
Argo is a musical installation that was presented in June 2018. It will last for the duration of Jacopo’s life. Jacopo Baboni Schilingi wears a device that was specifically conceived to measure his respiration, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, based on the technology developed by David Kuller (through his company My Air).
THE PERFORMANCE
A computer and a dedicated algorithm constantly monitor the incoming data: the duration of Jacopo’s breaths, the total volume of the last 10 seconds to 1 minute of respiration, the respiratory frequency, the expansion and compression of the thoracic cavity, etc. All this data creates a symbiosis between technology and the intimate process that is the most fundamental to human life: breathing. For the first time, this device allows us to see and understand an existential version of the present. By converting it into semantic functions, it generates endless music.

As part of the Artists & Robots exhibit, Jacopo Baboni Schilingi presented a new version of Argo 2018. The work was displayed in the main staircase of the Grand Palais in Paris. The musical composition accompanied visitors as they ascended the steps, thanks to a system of multiple speakers throughout the space. On the mezzanine, Jacopo Baboni Schilingi’s breathing was displayed on a screen in the form of a 3D spheroidal shape, which continuously moved in harmony with the artist’s body. Jacopo Baboni Schilingi is notably involved in projects that bring together the human body and the world of machines. Argo plays part in Jacopo Baboni Schilingi’s artistic search focused on the human body.
JACOPO BABONI SCHILINGI
Internationally renowned composer for concerts and performances, Jacopo Baboni Schilingi creates works for soloists, orchestras, visual artists and the cinema.

Beginning at the age of 15, this prodigy composed and implemented a flawless journey leading to his doctorate in musicology. A career replete with awards and documentaries, both on his work and research. Composer in residence at the IRCAM for 7 years, his works are regularly played around the world.

Interdisciplinary artist, he uses various media in his works: architecture, visual art, as well as new technologies, and regularly collaborates with visual artists and movie producers.
Argo
Performance by Jacopo at the Grand Palais
Argo
Detail of the work
Argo
Detail of the work
Argo
Detail of the work

CAMILLE FOURNET ENJOYS PLAYING WITH MATERIALS AND COLORS. WE LOVE CREATORS, THEIR INVENTIVENESS, THEIR ABILITY AND THE WONDER THEY'RE CAUSING.