About the Chromointerférence Series

Chromointerférence (1964) emerged when Carlos Cruz-Diez overlaid a transparent plastic sheet with the same line patterns as his Couleur Additive works. As he moved the overlay, he observed shifting color interferences that created new, unsupported hues. These intersections also generated waves of movement flowing in the opposite direction. He called them “false prisms” because they reconstructed the light spectrum on an opaque material.

The chromatic variations in Chromointerférence depend on the support’s nature. On opaque surfaces (paper, cardboard), they are additive, as in Couleur Additive, where two color planes meet, forming virtual darker lines. In contrast, the Environnement Chromointerférent, Pyramide de Volume Chromointerférent, and Expérience Chromatique Aléatoire Interactive function subtractively, relying on overlapping rays of colored light from projectors or screens to alter hues.

Cruz-Diez envisioned Chromointerferent Environments in 1965 with the Labyrinthe de Déconditionnement, aiming to dematerialize and transfigure color through movement. By projecting chromatic interference onto people and objects, they appear transparent and change form, becoming both participants and creators of the evolving chromatic event. The constant shifting of projections makes objects seem to move in response, establishing a dialogue between interference patterns and shadows. As we focus on the shadows, we experience an illusion of movement in the opposite direction of the projected colors.