How The Harshness of Paris Inspired Christelle Oyiri's Tate Installation

Artist, producer and DJ Christelle Oyiri (aka CRYSTALLMESS) channels the harshness of Paris and the bassy sounds of London to inform her new installation at Tate Modern.

In the new installment In a perpetual remix where is my own song?, the female figure takes centre stage. Based on the artist’s own body, a series of bronze statues depict various states of transformation: some appear warped, others melted, and one even features a bestial tail. Each sculpture is mounted atop a speaker and brought to life by a moving spotlight—as it illuminates each figure, a unique soundscape is triggered from the speaker below. Oyiri, who also DJs under the name Crystalmess, is known for her emotive, immersive rave takes, an absorbing energy that is equalled in her art.

"I’m exploring the cyclical nature of women’s experiences and how transformative it can be. I feel like, as women, we go through so many different phases in our life. Obviously puberty, just like men," Oyiri tells Trippin. "But also menopause, giving birth and all of these changes that greatly affect who we are. Getting older made me wanna talk a bit more about what I’m actually going through.”

"The bluntness of my work and the bluntness of my personality are very informed by Paris.”

Oyiri ties place into the heart of what she does. For example, the bold intimacy of the piece connects to her home city, Paris. “Paris is a harsh city. My work and my work ethic is influenced by it," she says. "The bluntness of my work and the bluntness of my personality are very informed by Paris.”

The city where the exhibition takes place, London, is similarly significant. A film composed of found footage—featuring scenes from cosmetic surgery procedures, memes, DJ sets, and strip clubs—is projected behind the array of arresting sculptures. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given her attributes as a DJ, sound is an essential part of the experience. The speakers move from eerie soundscapes to Squarepusher’s 97' frenetic brain-dance classic ‘A Journey to Reedham’, which Oyiri chose for its indecipherable sample of James Brown’s ‘Soul Pride.’

“In this piece, you can find a Squarepusher track from Warp Records, an iconic UK label," she explains, citing London for its defiant musical spirit. "London has greatly influenced my work over the years. I owe a lot to the UK, because they’re very uncompromising with their music; they’ve been boundary-pushing.”

In a perpetual remix where is my own song? is on at Tate Modern until 25 August.