CHRONICA en FRANÇAIS

ENG //

CHRONICA
a multidisciplinary, interactive experience by Barbara Mydlak (PL) and Yann Deval (FR/BE)

CHRONICA takes the form of an exhibition and performance that links traditional papermaking techniques with contemporary augmented reality technologies. It is a collective ritual that metaphorically addresses the themes of various forms of illness, its acceptance and healing processes. Through the trajectory of a 'page' that participants extract from their head, they enter an introspective, tactile and aural experience.

CHRONICA is inspired by the idea of Mydlak's previous work titled Descent/M87, which is the first installation from the 'Mydlak catalogue' series.
Over the last few years, Mydlak has been creating further installations for her repository of experiences, including: M2020, M2021, M2023, M2024, M2025 which they combined with Deval's archive of musical improvisations as the basis of the interactive project CHRONICA.

CHRONICA draws inspiration from the concept of M87: a diary of a long-term illness, a catalogue of memories of pain, relief, and the process of recovery, where every moment – a drop of tears or therapeutic substances – leaves a destructive or healing mark on a handmade page of paper, referring to wounds, scars or fibrous nodules, and its size resembles a ‘postcard’ that informs about the sender's condition, or standard 10 x 15 cm developed images from a photography album. CHRONICA gives this a new dimension, shifting the viewer's perspective to one of sensory engagement.

Project is in the prototype development phase.
Duration: from 8 min to 40 min
Installation size: composition and dimensions are adaptable and depend on space, each page is ~ 10 x 15 cm
Format: LBE, augmented reality (AR), visual and sound art installation, interactive projection
Number of participants: 1 to 6 (or more) with headsets plus participants without headsets and observers
AR equipment: Hololens 2 (at the moment) / other XR headsets, smartphones, tablets in the future
*Working prototype with the material installation available on request.


Documentation of the double-sided interactive projection created during CHRONICA Residency | OPEN LAB by Barbara Mydlak and Yann Deval, recorded at BLANCO Lammerstraat 31 in Ghent, Belgium in August 2025.
Video, animation, photography: Barbara Mydlak & Yann Deval
Music and mapping: Yann Deval
Images and screen: Barbara Mydlak

With special thanks to NUCLEO and all visitors.

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More information about CHRONICA at VIDEOPHONIC STUDIO and DARK EUPHORIA website.

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AGENDA

Venice Production Bridge, La Biennale di Venezia
CHRONICA prototype presentation & pitch
Venice, Italy
28 August - 1 September, 2025

CHRONICA Residency | OPEN LAB
BLANCO, Lammerstraat 31, NUCLEO
Ghent, Belgium
04-24 August, 2025

Osaka World Expo - Belgian Pavilion
"No borders, new territories of digital creativity" / KIKK and wake!
CHRONICA prototype presentation
Osaka, Japan
May, 2025

New Images Festival 2025, Forum des images
CHRONICA prototype at XR Development Market
Paris, France
09-13 April, 2025

Immersity
Pitch & prototype of CHRONICA
Angoulême, France
26-27 March, 2025

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) & 'The New Crafts' International Symposium
organized by Tsinghua University, Academy of Arts & Design; China National Arts & Crafts Society; National Centre For The Performing Arts (NCPA)
CHRONICA project presentation during the keynote speech by Barbara Mydlak
Beijing, China
18 September, 2024

Art residency XR-Creative / writing phase of the project
Pôle Image Magelis & École nationale du jeu et des médias interactifs numériques du Cnam / CNAM-ENJMIN
Angoulême, France
08-26 July, 2024

Atelier in Beeld #17
CHRONICA public prototype presentation
Ghent, Belgium
5 May, 2024

Nucleo puur Nucleo / Open Studio Day
CHRONICA public prototype presentation
Ghent, Belgium
2 March, 2024

I only count sunny hours / Barbara Mydlak and Yann Deval exhibition
Presentation of the very first prototype of CHRONICA
BLANCO Gallery
Ghent, Belgium
09-20 November, 2023

XR Camp organized by Kontejner / Discursive programme Realities in Transition at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU)
Presentation of CHRONICA by Yann Deval during the panel "Artistic Practices in the New Expanded Field"
Zagreb, Croatia
26 October, 2023

Kikk festival - Trakk, XR & Médiations artistiques
Presentation of CHRONICA by Yann Deval during the 4th edition of the Donut conferences
Namur, Belgium
4 October, 2023

Atelier in Beeld #16
Public presentation of the first idea of CHRONICA at the MYDLAK STUDIO
Ghent, Belgium
7 May, 2023

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CREDITS

Concept, scenario and project direction
Barbara Mydlak & Yann Deval

Inspired by
the first original artwork from the Mydlak Catalogue - M87
by Barbara Mydlak

Production
Dark Euphoria
Mathieu Rozières, producer
Marie Point, director
Raphaël Chênais, XR production manager
William Board, production manager

Music
Improvisations 2016-2026
Yann Deval

Material installations
artworks from the Mydlak Catalogue / M2016-M2026
Barbara Mydlak

Set design
Barbara Mydlak

Programming & AR design
Yann Deval
Mathieu Denuit

Microscopy imaging consultations
Dr Olivier Leroux / Stereomicroscope and macro imaging at
Plant Histology Facility, Ghent University

SEM and light microscopy consultations
Dr Ir. Loïc Malet
Yasmina Al Azawi / Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy at
4MAT, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

Support and partners
With the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée
Montpellier - Métropole ICC
Magelis, with the support of the Département de la Charente in partnership with the CNC
École nationale du jeu et des médias interactifs numériques du Cnam / CNAM-ENJMIN, Angoulême
NUCLEO

Thanks to
Ohme
Prof. Ewa Latkowska-Żychska, Dr hab. Magda Soboń, Prof.
Paper Studio, The Strzemiński Academy of Art in Lodz
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MATERIAL INSTALLATIONS FROM THE MYDLAK CATALOGUE

M2016, M2017, M2019, M2020, M2021, M2022, M2023, M2024, M2025, M2026
materials: recycled cellulose from previous artworks – pine, birch, cotton, flax cellulose, recycled cellulose from old, discarded linen and cotton clothes
technique: handmade paper, own technique
size: each card is ~ 10 x 15 cm / composition and size of the installation change according to space

Objects change over time under the influence of external conditions and the substances used to create the images.