Bearing forms similar to kites, three giant mobiles hang and rotate above our heads in the vast space of STUDIOTELUS. Thanks to directional lighting, the moving sculptures take on an unexpected dimension, composing a shimmering play of shadow and light on the surrounding surfaces.

The term “umbra” refers to the blackest part of a shadow cast by an opaque object. With this kinetic installation, Wickramasinghe explores the relationship between darkness and light and its effect on our perceptions. The artist wishes to shift away from negative ideas of the dark by revealing its redemptive and transformative qualities.

Motors slowly turn the three mobiles—whose rigid frames are covered with dichroic film, a kind of translucent polyester film that can change colour and create different reflections depending on the lighting conditions and viewing angles—creating shadowy silhouettes of translucent colours and shimmering reflections that expand and disappear on the four storeys overlooking the space.

In line with this year’s theme of Manif d’art – The Quebec City Biennial, The Strength of Sleep, the Cohabitations of All the Living, and inspired by the darkness of winter and the pace imposed on humans and nature by the longest nights of the year, the work evokes the regenerative potential of the cold season. Through its forms, reflections, and rhythm, it recalls a childhood world marked by games, dreams, and peaceful sleep.

Ethereal and monumental all at once, Umbra, l’obscurité et l’absence de lumière combines the real world with that of dreams, inviting viewers to pause in wonderment and enjoy a moment of rest and contemplation.