A one-of-a-kind multimedia interactive provided visitors to the NFSA with the opportunity to remix Gotye’s hit singles ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ and ‘State of the Art’.
Fractured Heart is an interactive sound and light sculpture designed and built by illuminart in collaboration with Gotye (Wouter ‘Wally’ de Backer). It was first presented as the backdrop to his live performance of ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ with Kimbra at the 2011 ARIA Awards (see photo gallery below). The sculpture used mapped animated projections based on the music video that changed in time with Gotye’s performance.
Following the ARIA Awards, illuminart redesigned Fractured Heart as a stand-alone interactive light and sound sculpture for Vivid Sydney – A Festival of Light, Music & Ideas, in 2012. People could now interact with this ‘light harp’ sculpture through physical movement, using their body and hand gestures to remix sound loops and mapped projections.
The redesigned Fractured Heart was installed at the NFSA in 2013 as a temporary exhibition. According to NFSA CEO Michael Loebenstein:
'Fractured Heart is not only a poetic and fun way to engage with music, sounds and light animation. It is also important as a ‘living’ document of Gotye’s interdisciplinary creative approach, and of illuminart’s highly innovative artistic output combining sculpture, performance, and intermedia art'.
