Douglas Gordon & Philippe Parreno: ZIDANE, UN PORTRAIT DU XXIE SIÈCLE

 

In 2005, artists Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno came together to produce a documentary filmed in real time during a match between Real Madrid andVillarreal CF. Seventeen synchronised cameras spread out around the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid had their lenses focussed on nothing but the figure of Zidane. This film, leagues away from a recording for television, makes the concentration on his face and the extreme precision of his strikes positively palpable for the public.

 

The film paints a portrait of French footballer Zinédine Zidane, star of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. By zooming right in on Zidane himself, Parreno and Gordon sought to reveal not only the genius behind this football star, but also the passion that we have for our modern icons. The wide array of cameras used affords viewers a 360-degree perspective of the match, immersing them in a multidimensional space and conferring a feeling of being right there at the player’s side.

 

The 17 large screens suspended around key parts of the exhibition play specific sounds and create a spatial effect, inviting visitors to stroll through both image and audio. Zidane’s breathing, his internal voice, the noise of the pitch, the chants of supporters, the crunch of colliding bodies and kicks of the ball... all these sound elements, overlaid with original music from Scottish post-rockband Mogwai, form a true masterpiece, deftly orchestrated for the space by sound engineer Nicolas Becker.

 

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