ACCELERATOR
Michael Berthaud
Sweet Spot, 2024
An interactive light sculpture, Sweet Spot features an acrylic mannequin with an LED-lit interior and a responsive display.
Drawing from the artist’s experience growing up in Boston, one can place the basketball or microphone box on the podium to see how they change the display inside the mannequin.
Sweet Spot was developed based on the artist’s observations of how society often frames success for Black youth. With symbols such as a basketball or microphone that represent stereotypical career pathways widely advertised in media, the artwork seeks to explore how these narrow symbols of achievement often overshadow the many facets of curiosity that exist within today's Black youth.
LOCATION
Nubian Square Library, 149 Dudley St, Roxbury, MA 02119
ACCELERATOR
Michael Berthaud
Michael Berthaud (he | him) is a 23-year-old multimedia artist born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. His introduction to the arts came in the form of designing games alone in his bedroom. When he began working in the game industry as a designer and engineer, he discovered the power of designing rules and its implications on human behavior. From collaborating with brands such as Rovio to working in small indie studios, Michael has seen how games of all sizes can be not only profitable but also culturally impactful. As he continued to gain experience in the art of game design, he began to loathe how contemporary games are trapped inside the confines of a home computer, console, or mobile phone. This created a newfound synergy where he began to take the principles of game design and carry them into the public art space.