Benoit Paillé, Crossroads of Realities, 2014

Benoit Paillé’s Crossroad of Realities is a pioneering work situated at the intersection of digital and physical contexts, using photography and video games to question the very nature of reality and representation. This project is significant for its early and insightful commentary on the artistic potential of in-game photography and its broader philosophical implications regarding the «digital turn» in photography.

The title highlights Paillé’s exploration of the boundaries between different layers of reality – virtual and physical, digital and analog. His goal, in the mid 2010s, was not merely about capturing or depicting a simulated environment; it was about the act of crossing these boundaries and the experiential reality of seeing and capturing through digital means. Paillé began this project during a period of personal introspection, influenced by his experimentation with marijuana and an ongoing battle with depression. These circumstances led him to question the influence of the virtual on real life and how simulations were becoming indistinguishable from life itself. Thus, his inquiry into these «crossroads of realities» was not merely an artistic endeavour but a profound philosophical exploration.

Paillé immersed himself in the digital world of San Andreas, paying meticulous attention to details like lighting and visual glitches, which he found fascinating and revealing. Paillé photographed the television screen where GTA V was playing using a DSLR camera. This choice was driven partly by technical limitations: at the time, the PlayStation 3 did not have a fully developed in-game camera functionality. By photographing the display, Paillé intentionally introduced chromatic aberrations and artefacts into his images, which became significant elements when printed on large canvases. These visual distortions emphasised the mediated nature of the images and highlighted the inherent digital and mechanical processes involved in their creation.

Crossworld of Realities also touches on issues of intellectual property and ownership in the context of digital media. Paillé is keenly aware of the legal implications of in-game photography, considering that the resulting images are technically owned by the game developers. Despite this, Paillé feels a personal ownership over «his» photographs because they result from a mechanical process that he directly initiated and controlled. In other words, this sense of ownership is tied to the emotional and affective meaning he attaches to the images, akin to how memories become part of one’s personal reality.

With Crossroad of Realities, Paillé effectively blurs the lines between different modes of representation and challenges the viewer to reconsider what constitutes reality in the digital age. His work is a powerful critique of the ways in which digital environments influence and reshape our perceptions and interactions in the physical world. By capturing moments within the game and presenting them as tangible, physical artworks, Paillé underscores the permeable boundaries between the digital and the real, inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences and the impact of virtual spaces on their lives.

More by Benoit Paillé: gbuffer.myportfolio.com