Intersecting Digital Art and Performance:
Times Neue Roman × EEPMON at the Vancouver Art Gallery’s KRAZY! Launch
When the Vancouver Art Gallery launched its groundbreaking exhibition, KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Comics + Video Games + Art, it marked a historic celebration of visual culture. Adding to the energy of the opening evening event, digital artist EEPMON joined forces with Robert Bolton of Times Neue Roman for a captivating live presentation of their collaborative project, Orpheus.
Overview & Synopsis
Orpheus is a multidisciplinary performance piece originally created by Robert Bolton and Eric Chan (EEPMON) for the Vancouver Art Gallery’s KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Comics + Video Games + Art exhibition (May 17th – September 7th, 2008).
Named after the mythical Greek musician who could charm all living things and navigate the underworld to retrieve his wife Eurydice, the collaboration reimagines the Orpheus myth through a modern digital lens.
Key Elements of the Collaboration
Intersection of Art & Technology: The project seamlessly combines EEPMON’s signature style—blending hand-drawn sumi ink illustrations, digital graphics, and generative algorithms—with Robert Bolton’s expertise in design futures, interactive experiences, and spoken word text.
Thematic Narrative: Inspired by the themes of loss, search, resonance, and transformation from the original Orpheus myth, the performance reflects on human emotional connections within increasingly synthetic and digital environments.
Multidisciplinary Execution: Rather than remaining a static visual piece, Orpheus unfolds as a live, immersive dialogue between light, code, and sound. EEPMON’s digital artworks served is key visualizations, controlled via keyboard, triggering in tandem with Robert Bolton’s spoken word text.
Bringing an innovative fusion of digital design and live storytelling to the gallery space, the performance perfectly matched the exhibition’s focus on redefining 21st-century art. The unique creative pairing and dynamic execution caught the attention of local media, earning a prominent spotlight in the Ricepaper Magazine Feature.
The momentum from this successful collaboration did not stop in Vancouver. The conceptual foundations laid during the gallery performance eventually evolved into a powerful live presentation on a major stage, leading to their subsequent TEDx Toronto Performance. By pushing the boundaries of contemporary multi-disciplinary art, the Orpheus performance stands as a definitive highlight in the intersection of digital media and live narrative.
