Color Composition

Ehpad Saint Charles wanted an original work of art with which each patient could interact, freely and without constraint. The ambition was for the work to help keep residents active by stimulating their senses and cognitive functions, breaking down isolation and creating social links.

Artist Santiago Torres proposed to install a large touch screen with a Composition Color work. It will enable the public to communicate through movement with an interactive work, where everyone will be able to expose their choices and preferences, enabling them to exchange, create links and be active, which is the basis of his work.

The work defined by the artist appears on the screen. Depending on their own inspiration, feelings, etc., the public who pass through this space interact with the work, transforming color, shape and volume to create a composition of their own choosing. The first composition was created at a special moment, a moment that belongs to the artist, his own choice of color, in a specific moment. The artist then gives the opportunity to change these colors.

Each person’s inspiration, at a given moment, is unique. It’s the interaction that creates the color. There are an infinite number of colors.

In the spring, the artist presented his approach and his work to the nursing staff. He stressed the need for the digital work to be a creative starting point. He therefore proposed a workshop using colored and cut-out shapes, mirroring the digital work, to make the transition from technology to paper. Touching and creating by hand is very, very important: it’s all about creating, playing and living with the work. We use a variety of media, including paint, collage and watercolor. “We have lots of instruments for playing music, but not for painting” (Santiago Torres).

One resident remains hypnotized for a moment before approaching. Some don’t dare at first, “I’m going to screw everything up” with a guilty expression. And therein lies the heart of this project: a work that all residents can approach and modify at any time, in complete autonomy.

The caregivers guide and encourage some of the residents, before the color becomes a natural part of the conversation.

The workshop elicited reactions and exchanges. One caregiver was surprised to see that the residents most interested in interactivity were those with more pronounced disabilities. A resident who hadn’t been heard the first hour suddenly says

“You’re in a bad mood, you come down and make a work of art!