“Retornar” by Santiago Tamayo Soler

Title:

Retornar

Artist(s) and People Involved:

Artist Statement:

Exhibition. Centre Culturel Canadien, May 16 – 20

2021, Video HD, 20’

Set in a fictional Andes in the year 2222 Retornar narrates the story of the nine last living humans on Earth, and their journey towards a big «reset». Narratively structured as a video game, Retornar takes place in an eco-pessimistic world, where Latin America has nothing else to give: its soil has dried up and the atmosphere has become increasingly dangerous. After a big war driven by an extreme exploitation of natural resources, the surviving characters wander around a dystopian Andean landscape, aimlessly and alone, with no other purpose but to spend their day going through different “puzzles” and “loading screens”, until they are summoned by a mysterious blue orb that will transport them into a digital celestial world where – after a big celebratory “last dance” – they will become the seeds for a new generation.

Retornar was made through a multilayered process. The world itself was designed from scenes created in The Sims 4, SketchUp, Photoshop, as well as real footage shot in front of a green screen. The scenarios were built using an isometric perspective to mimic early 8 bit video games, as well as early life simulation games, and videochat universes.

Created as part of the PHI Montreal 2021 Residency.