Dîner Noire and The Library is on Fire ISTANBUL

March 29 - April 12, 2014.

Dîner Noire
honoring special guest
The Library is on Fire 1(c): Haunting Glyphs

Charles Arsène-Henry
Tristan Bera
Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster
with the exclusive participation of Catherine Robbe-Grillet

Reception - Sat. March 29, 22:00- 24:00 - Dress code: noir de rigueur
at Vault Karaköy, House Hotel, 5 Bankalar Caddesi.

Protocinema - 8 Bankalar Cad. Kat 4
Lecture: Research Creature in Metascape - Mon., March 31, 15:00
Exhibition Open - March 29 - April 12, Wed. - Sat., 12:00 - 18:00

Protocinema presents a special event by Tristan Bera & Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster titled Dîner Noire with the participation of Catherine Robbe-Grillet, and the third chapter of an experimental library conceived by Charles Arsène-Henry.

Dîner Noire
Istanbul, April 2012, on a full moon twenty-two movie characters invited to a mundane party found themselves trapped in a weird cycle of repetition. Amongst an assembly of many guests, obliged to reenact the same dialogues and gestures for long hours, they were ultimately released thanks to an Erik Satie piano air. It was the cinematic 121st Night. Two years later, the twenty-two characters are being called back for an impromptu: Dîner Noire. Inspired by a fantasy combining Marquis de Sade and Joris-Karl Huysmans, Luchino Visconti and Pier Paolo Pasolini, Jess and James Franco, William Burroughs, Alain and Catherine Robbe-Grillet with joy and gloom, it is a dinner ceremony turning guests into ghosts in the mix of crystal, ink and screams. Please join its aftermath in the former Credit General Ottoman building, on Bankalar Caddesi. Dress code: noir de rigueur

The Library is on Fire follows the cognitive, affective and physical adventures of a creature looking for the form of its intelligence. In Istanbul, under the title Haunting Glyphs, it will continue its search for a language in the interzone between text and image. Written and programmed by Charles Arsène-Henry and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster with the functions of a 3D printer used as a literary machine, it will secrete a meta-library in the form of an ambiguous poster. The Library is on Fire is a core element of the forthcoming LUMA Foundation art and research center.

Charles Arsène-Henry founded the speculative research agency White Box Black Box in 2009. He teaches the seminar Shapes of Fiction at the Architectural Association, London, and conceiving The Library is on Fire. His last published text: Nemo Floressas Achab Crash.

Tristan Bera (born 1984) lives in Paris. His work is based on literary and cinematic references in different formats and mediums. Since 2010, he woks in collaboration with Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster on exhibitions, film, fanzines and performances. In 2011 they presented Human Valley, an one year scenotope at Zurich Kunsthalle; in 2012, The 121st Night, Protocinema, Istanbul and peer-to-gynt together with Ari Benjamin Meyers. Bera's cinematic environments include The Magic Skin (2011), Belle comme le jour (2012) at Art Unlimited, Art Basel, and le rayon noir (2013) in The Library is on Fire 1(b): Haunted Glyphs at The LUMA Foundation, Arles, France.

Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster lives in Paris and Rio de Janeiro. Solo exhibitions of her work include Pavillon d'argent, Jan Mot, Mexico City, Belle Comme le jour, Art Unlimited, Basel, and Return to Noreturn, Esther Schipper, Berlin, in 2012; T.1912, Guggenheim Museum, New York (2011); chronotopes & dioramas, Dia Art Foundation, New York (2009); TH.2058, Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, London (2008); Nocturama, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y Léon (MUSAC) (2008); Expodrome, Musée d'art moderne de la Ville de Paris/ARC (2007); Multiverse, Kunsthalle Zürich (2004); and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster -Prix Marcel Duchamp, Centre Pompidou, Paris (2002). Forthcoming exhibition Splendide Hotel in Palacio de Cristal, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (March 14 -August 31, 2014).

Catherine Robbe-Grillet (née Rstakian, born 1930) was educated in Paris, in a convent school, Notre Dame de Sion. In 1957 she married the well-known French writer and director, Alain Robbe-Grillet. One of his many films "l'Immortelle" (1963) was shot in Istanbul. Actress and set photographer, Catherine Robbe-Grillet is best known as author of a number of books dealing with the themes of sadomasochistic eroticism, including "l'Image", "Le Petit Carnet Perdu" and "Alain". Her organization of numerous of private sado-masochistic ceremonies has led Vanity Fair to call her "France's most famous dominatrix".

Founded in 2011, Protocinema is a nomadic, 501(c) (3) Art Organization presenting site-aware exhibitions in Istanbul and New York, with a Hands-on Education Program. For more information: Please contact Mari Spirito, +1 917 660 7332 or +90 541 468 0214 and visit us at www.protocinema.org

Special thanks to LUMA Foundation; Haro Cumbusyan; Tansa Mermerci Ekşioğlu; Sascha Bauer; Merve Elveren; Ilhan Ozan, Zeynep Berik, Daniel Mason, Batu Tezyüksel; Beverly Charpentier; Filiz Avunduk; Gisèle Vienne; Haunted Glyphs Researchers: Alvaro Fernandez Pulpeiro; Christopher Johnson; Cédric Moullier; Elliot Rogosin; 121st Night Characters: Özkan Cangüven; Mark Van Yetter; Camilla Rocha; Lara Fresko; Egija Inzule; Osman Bozkurt; Dino Delarantis; Halil Atasever; Sylvia Kouvali; Luke Milne; Mari Spirito; Evrim Altug; Didem Erk; Brian O'Connell; Ali Cindoruk; Joseph Redwood Martinez; Özge Ersoy; Tobias Kaspar; Merve Baykal; James Holiday; Elif Baykal. 303 Gallery, New York; Esther Schipper, Berlin; Jan Mot, Brussels; Tomasso Corvi Mora, London; Gallery Koyanagi, Tokyo; Leyla Neyzi; Can Altay; students from Bilgi University and Sabancı University.

For Press Inquiries please contact Robbie Valentine - 0545 762 2438.