SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The Telfair Museums’ PULSE Art + Technology Festival has returned, but this time around, with a very sensitive theme.

This year’s exhibition is Sensitive Contacts: Interactive Art by Scenocosme, an interactive exhibition by Grégory Lasserre and Anaïs met den Ancxt, who are an artist couple from France.

Their artworks use diverse expressions of visual art, digital art, sound art, collective performances, and interactive installations.

Visitors can experience four signature interactive installations by the artists, including Metamorphy, which utilizes a touchable elastic screen that creates an ambiguity between a real physical space, a virtual space materialized by the reflection of a mirror, and one generated by video projections.

Christophe Thollet, who flew into Savannah from France to help the technicians of the Telfair Museum with the exhibits said, “I think what is very important is the interaction. Each part of the exhibition is some kind of mural because it makes people ask questions about themselves and about the way they are here and the way they are here, in front of any exhibition.”

“You actually touch their work. You press into these spandex screens to trigger images. I had seen their work in New York at the Rubin Museum of Art, which kind of focuses on Himalayan art.,” said Harry DeLorme, Telfair Museums’ Director of Education and Senior Curator.

“It’s very different than your typical museum,” said Bri Salley, Director of Marketing & Communications at the Telfair Museum. “You’re going to be able to engage with the art in a very different way. It’s exciting, as you can see, we’re making art more approachable in a more interactive way.”

Salley continued, “Art isn’t always what it seems. So, you get different perspectives, you get to engage with different mediums, you get to actually learn more about what’s possible and what can be considered art in 2023.”

On the importance of art Thollet said it’s life. “To give an example, there is a plant in another exhibition on the second floor. It can’t work if the plant is dead. It’s working only because of the life and because people who touch while in person with the plant is life.”

So far, the museum has had plenty of visitors during the festival of varying ages attending not only the lectures but also walking around taking in all of the art exhibits.

Robin Donato said, “We’re visiting our son in Savannah, exploring a lot of the museums and old homes downtown.”

On what she thinks of the Telfair Museum’s exhibits Donato said, “I think it’s a beautiful museum, I loved that it’s so white and bright and cheerful and it’s interesting seeing how different artists put their emotions and thoughts into their art.” 

Art fan Karen Teitelbaun said “I’m visiting Savannah for the first time.  It’s lovely. If I were in town I would come back.” 

Telfair Museums’ PULSE Art + Technology Festival also includes lectures by featured artists, STEAM programs for students, a curator’s tour, a Friday night performance and a Free Family Day.

The last day for the Telfair Museums’ PULSE Art + Technology Festival is this Saturday. “From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on January 28th, there will be a Free Family Day here at the Jepson Center, so all of the families and residents are welcome to come in, experience the exhibitions as well as some additional performances at the actual Jepson Center,” said Salley.