What do Inva Mula-Tchako and Andrea Green have in common? Each supplies an operatic voice for an enigmatic artwork that I love. The former is the voice of Diva Plavalaguna in the movie, “The Fifth Element,” and the later is the voice and face for Stefani Byrd and Wes Eatin’s projected artwork entitled “Diva” that I saw at 1708 Gallery’s InLight exhibition on 10/21/2011.

Each diva – in the movie and at InLight – projects a show-stoppingly stunning voice within an overwhelming context that is far removed from opera. And each artwork – the movie and the InLight piece – focuses our full attention on the diva’s face in such a way that makes us desperately want to know her (but we never do). The context of the 2011 InLight exhibition was Tredegar Ironworks – the South’s forefront of industrial Technology 150 years ago.

On 10/21/2011 Tredegar – and “Diva” -  was again a technology forefront – a technology of computers and light systems and artistic concepts, all juxtaposed against antiquated brick and iron-work and historic interpretive signage.