Lita Albuquerque’s “20/20: Accelerando” is now on view at The American Center for Art & Culture in Paris. Open through November 11, the artist’s video installation (the exhibition’s namesake) is being presented outside of the U.S. west coast for the first time.
Created around a narrative written by Albuquerque in 2003, Genlus Remembered, the video work follows a female astronaut from the 25th century (played by the artist’s daughter, choreographer Jasmine Albuquerque), who voyages to a 6000 BCE Earth on a mission to spark an interstellar consciousness. The film features a collaboration with composer Robbie C. Williamson and linguist Cassandara Bickman, in which the astronaut sings about the 99 brightest stars in the sky.

Installation view, “20/20: Accelerando,” at the Fischer Museum
Courtesy of the artist.
Presented in a large-screen format, visitors are immersed in an atmospheric installation, where a bed of salt is laden with glass orbs filled with water and honey, suggesting the intergalactic atmosphere of video’s story. Accompanying the film are a series of pastel drawings created specifically for the exhibition, as well as footage from the original performance of “20/20 Accelerando,” and a series of interactive guided tours, hosted in the home of Mona von Bismarck.

Installation view, “20/20: Accelerando,” at the Fischer Museum
Courtesy of the artist.