BABEL-V[1]
28/10/2016
Creteil
Babel V1 is an immersive installation that reimagines the relationship between place and memory. Through projection mapping, spatial sound, and 3D scans, it transforms an ordinary map into a layered narrative.
Each scene in the installation is embedded in a navigable 3D map of the neighborhood constructed from photogrammetry and fragments of scanned moments. Viewers explore this digital terrain using a joystick interface, moving through streets and courtyards recreated from real places.
As they approach specific locations, spatial audio fades in: recordings of local residents telling personal stories tied to that exact spot. These layered encounters turn the act of exploration into a quiet unraveling of memory where each corner, building, or alleyway offers a glimpse into lived experiences that might otherwise be forgotten.
From 2015 to 2018, the studio was based in Créteil, a suburban area on the outskirts of Paris. Working in partnership with the neighborhood association La Maison pour tous, we began a long-term collaboration with local residents. The goal was to document the collective memory of the community, its stories, customs, and everyday life before they were erased by the rapid pace of urban development. What emerged was an informal archive: a patchwork of voices, images, and local folklore captured for future generations.
The project began with mapping, interviews, and photogrammetry to document the neighborhood’s physical and emotional landscape. These materials were then transformed through a series of workshops with local youth groups, who helped design and build a navigable 3D version of their world. This digital reconstruction became the foundation of the installation, an interactive space where recorded memories and scanned fragments converge into a living map of the neighborhood.
Credits
Local partners MPT Bleuets Créteil / Espace Jean Ferrat - Créteil
Project Coordinator Kader NOUI / Diaty Diallo
Exhibition space Maison des arts de Créteil
Development and production - InDialog
With the support of the DRAC - Ille de france