Agoria

The 19th century witnessed the birth of modernity and a wave of bold artistic experimentation. One of the most significant confrontations to emerge during this time was Impressionism.
In that spirit, the Musée d’Orsay seeks to explore the connection between its historical collections and the emergence of new experimental art. As part of this initiative, titled Le Code d’Orsay, Agoria presents two works that resonate deeply with the museum’s legacy: the first, Σ Lumina, a highly poetic and immersive installation; and the second, Interprétation par saccharomyces cerevisiae de L’Atelier du peintre de Gustave Courbet, a piece that intimately bridges the realms of art and science.
The concept behind Σ Lumina is rooted in the creation of a poetic and participatory time portal—a bridge between the physical and digital, the past and the future. Inspired by the architectural presence and emotional weight of the Musée d’Orsay, the work aims to demystify digital art by inviting viewers into a personal, sensory experience of light, breath, and code. Activated by a simple, universal gesture—blowing into one’s phone—each visitor becomes a co-creator, generating a unique digital artwork derived from the museum’s collection of Impressionist masterpieces.
The title, meaning “Sum of Lights,” reflects the convergence of worlds: where organic gestures meet algorithmic systems, and classical art intersects with living technology. Created in collaboration with cabinetmaker Guilhem Huynh, and the artist Johan Lescure, Σ Lumina takes form as a monumental living sculpture, made with steel, and sets a new standard for exhibiting digital art. Σ Lumina has been selected by Emmanuel Macron as a reference to represent art and technology during the AI Summit held in Paris in February 2025.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae’s interpretation of Gustave Courbet’s L’Atelier du peintre extends this exploration of hybridity and memory. Developed with a team of scientists, the work uses yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cultivated in a bioreactor, with its life cycle influenced by key historical events from Gustave Courbet’s life. This living data was then used to animate and reinterpret Courbet’s “L’Atelier du peintre”, turning the iconic painting into a generative, biological artwork. It questions ideas of conservation, transmission, and how artworks—and the histories they carry—can continue to evolve. In essence, the microorganisms become the artists, drawing their own version of Courbet’s world.
Both works reflect a curatorial vision rooted in blending disciplines: art and science, code and biology, personal memory and collective heritage. They challenge static perceptions of digital art and invite the audience into an intimate, interactive space—where blowing into a phone or observing living data becomes an act of creation. These works are tributes to the past, reinterpretations for the present, and speculative bridges to the future.

Live demo: https://o.agoria.dev/en