Baron Lanteigne 
2023
3D animation, video, screens, microprocessors, cables.
Touch Grass: this expression is commonly used in the context of Internet culture to signify one’s presence and participation in the real world, as opposed to the connected reality of online virtual worlds. Could it be an ironic invitation to leave the screen behind? Or a critical commentary on the digital invasion of our lives? Either way, the work speaks to us of “touching” things IRL (in real life) and, AFK (away from keyboard), of reconnecting with a world that increasingly eludes us. Indeed, the omnipresence of digital technology is persistently distancing us from tangible reality, while at the same time the scale of our ecological footprint is contributing to a very real loss of grip. Fragmented into several screens, the gesture of touching vegetation is (re)formed and literally programmed from microprocessors suspended nearby. Then, as a reading key, a screen acts as a window on the Internet, through which web browsing reveals – sometimes humorously – the meaning of touching grass.
