‘The Assembly’ is a mixed reality journey into a world where your movements become sounds. Passing from virtual reality to the human assembly, you use your movements and digital interfaces to create a collective song that echoes through ‘The Assembly’.

‘The Assembly’ is a multiplayer virtual reality (VR) experience embedded in an interactive installation that transforms into a performance stage at night. The VR experience, installation and performance can be experienced individually or combined.

Inspired by the universal tradition of collective singing, ‘The Assembly’ revisits this ancient practice and uses new media as a conductive surface to transform bodily movement into a plural voice.

A multiplayer VR experience

In the VR experience, you dance with other players to the sound of dreamy melodies and electronic beats that you collectively create. Led by the mystical figure of the Memory of Voice (MoV), you become part of a multi-dimensional instrument and play with sounds that surround you in this first Assembly.

An interactive installation

As you leave the virtual world, you find yourself immersed in an interactive installation. You wander through a maze of veils, touch objects and interact with light around you to create and transform sounds that draw their strength from the human voice. You can also linger at the edge of the installation to observe and listen to the collective song created by this second Assembly.

The installation can welcome up to ten people at a time in order to respect sanitary measures and to create an intimate experience. The visit lasts approximately 30 minutes. There is no need to reserve a place.

A concert-performance

When the space transforms into a 360° stage, the mystical creature of the Memory of Voice reappears, embodied by the performer. Along the beats of a live electronic musician, the MoV immerses the audience into a third Assembly. This concert-performance invites you to sound together and revisit the digital interfaces surrounding you to create a new collectif instrument.

‘The Assembly’ was born in Luxembourg through the artistic collaboration of performer Catherine Elsen and VR director Charlotte Bruneau. Digital artist Laura Mannelli joined the project as director of the XR installation. The team widened to electronic musician Pouya Ehsaei, artist Wesley Allsbrook, the VR studio Gluk Media, in Lithuania, sound engineers from Luxembourg’s Mad Trix, and dramaturge choreographer René Alejandro Huari Mateus.

The installation is mobile and will be presented in Luxembourg, France and Lithuania as part of the ‘European Capital of Culture 2022’ program. Tickets should be booked separately for the installation and the performance. From 12 years onwards.

XR Installation + Virtual Reality

The installation and VR experience can be visited during opening hours by groups and individuals. The installation is open for ten people at the time to allow for social distancing and an intimate experience of the space. It takes about 30 minutes.

The virtual reality experience lasts 15 minutes and is open to five people at a time. To avoid queues, you can book your spot online. VR headsets are disinfected in-between each session.

During special sessions for schools, pedagogical workshops will be offered to high school classes as an accompaniment through ‘The Assembly’ experience.

Concert-Performance

The performance takes place in the same space that turns into a 360° stage where the audience and the artists share a mixed space. 50 people can book their tickets online for a one hour show.

For more information visit https://www.theassemblyproject.org