Federico Solmi: The Bacchanalian Ones

Using game engines, digital animation, motion capture, virtual and augmented reality combined with his drawings and paintings, Solmi creates satirical and clownish portrayals of political leaders, colonial rulers and explorers absorbed in extravagant and deranged parties; pompous, imperious parades; and theatrical and contrived events.

Visually stunning, the theatricality of the work is enhanced by Solmi’s dynamic style of animation and video production. This is expressed in the inclusion of 3-D digitally printed, artist painted masks designed for the Oculus Go VR headset. Working collaboratively with George Lecakes, Director of the Rowan VR Center and with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the masks are sculptural representations of Solmi’s animated characters of George Washington and Empress Hagios Theodora. The performative element to the exhibition is complete as viewers of the VR experience careen and sway mimicking how the very same characters move in the video installations.

Inspired by ancient mythology, modern myth, and contemporary celebrity culture, Solmi has blended together historical characters, and depicts them as ghoulish, self-indulgent, degenerate devotees of the cults of Bacchus and Dionysus concerned only with their own power and influence. Through the absurd behavior of the characters in his animations and virtual experiences, Solmi asks us to question their relevance and the distorted historical narrative that has led to an era of misinformation, corruption, and hypocrisy.

This exhibition has been generously funded by the Joseph Robert Foundation, with additional support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

We greatly appreciate the assistance and contributions to this project by Dr. Shreekanth Mandayam, Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, and George Lecakes, Director of the Rowan VR Center for his consult on the VR and design refinement and digital printing of the 3-D VR headset masks.

Also, many thanks to Will Cook, IRT, and Associate Professor, Amanda S. Almon, Biomedical Art & Visualization, for their technical consultation.