Exploring Chris Marker’s private island in ‘Second Life’
Chris Marker was one of those rare artists who remained true to the demanding ideals of the avant-garde till the end of his life. While Marker is primarily known for his invaluable contributions to the French New Wave, his artistic oeuvre extends beyond his unforgettable experiments with the cinematic medium.
Most film fans are familiar with Marker’s haunting sci-fi film La Jetée, the iconic New Wave gem that inspired Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys. However, Marker’s artistic activities aren’t limited to the New Wave era. Since the late 1980s and well into the 2010s, Marker played around with various forms of multimedia art.
After Marker made his 1983 documentary Sans Soleil, he became increasingly fascinated with the possibilities of digital technology. He started to experiment with interactive forms of artistic expression, mostly through the use of computer programs which enabled him to push the boundaries of creative freedom.
Like many others, Marker eventually realised that the ultimate union of interactivity and art is the video game medium. Although many filmmakers struggle to reconcile the differences between the curated domain of cinema and the liberating playground of games, Marker was quick to adapt to the unique frameworks of the latter.
He found a personal space for himself in Second Life, a popular online game that allows users to create special avatars for themselves through which they can inhabit a virtual world. While it is classified as a game, the creators have often maintained that it’s just a virtual space where people can take refuge from the world.
In his final years, Marker was very reclusive and barely had any public interactions. He worked on a fascinating project in Second Life, a hovering museum over the archipelago of Ouvroir. The museum had an unimaginable collection, ranging from Marker’s uncanny photography to film posters from the silent era.
Marker was so mesmerised by the virtual reality constructed within Second Life that he even invited others to join him. As a part of a 2008 exhibition, The Harvard Film Archive hosted an intriguing online interaction with Marker inside Second Life, where the filmmaker acted as a guide to his private sanctum.
Watch the video below.
