"The shadows of the demons of complexity awaken by my family are haunting me. Everything was so simple back then."

Edmond de Belamy

“My maker ? He was probabliy some human, there are plenty of them around. Fancy with a taste for mystery. He must have looked like that.”

Le Comte de Belamy

"Have you met my husband ? Rumors say he was created with Artificial Intelligence. I’ve known him for my whole life. It can be, can it ?"

La Comtesse de Belamy

"I’ll gather the best talents from all around the kingdom. They will work on a new machine. One that can learn by itself. Can you imagine the benefits it could bring ?"

Le Duc de Belamy

“Men are weak. An opportunity to bring order and harmony cannot be thrown away under the pretext of a few fools advocating for scattered agitation.”

La Duchesse de Belamy

“I’ll gather the best talents from all around the kingdom. They will work on a new machine. One that can learn by itself. Can you imagine the strength of such a creation ?”

Le Baron de Belamy

“Men are blinded by fame, power, and money. They don’t see the most simplistic beauty, the one that is already all around us.”

La Baronne de Belamy

“I am finally able to focus on what I love. Labour is a word of the past. Passion is a more suitable word for these times.”

Le Marquis de Belamy

“If god is in each and everyone of us, we should pray him by bettering ourselves in every way we can imagine, so he may live through us for as long as he can. “

L'Archeveque de Belamy

“Maintaining an unbalanced equilibrium between castes is essential. Thank god we don’t have to bother about maintenance anymore.”

Le Cardinal de Belamy

“Who said that not having a soul is a default ? It makes me unboundable, adaptative, and reckless.”

Madame de Belamy

In La Famille Belamy, Obvious captures an imagined aristocratic lineage, created using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) trained on 15 000 classical portraits. Each portrait blurs the line between human tradition and machine interpretation, evoking the conventions of classical painting while revealing subtle distortions. The series challenges our perception of authorship, beauty, and the role of algorithms in cultural memory.

La Famille de Belamy

The sacred heights are known as the land of the crying red ogre, who made friends with the villagers by protecting them from a fake attack by his friend the blue ogre.

Sacred Heights (聖天)

“Only our actions define the future we set for our children.”

The Kabuki theatre is at the center of the entertainment in the floating world in Edo, as it is the heart at the origins of passions and dreams. The representation is usually organized around the story of three characters: the male hero, the female hero, and the villain, all played by male actors. Kyūjū plays the male hero, and he is from the Sacred-Heights.

Kyūjū of Sacred-Heights (聖天の久寿)

The dormant lake is the theatre of the legend of Sono, who got her hair cut as a service to her husband, so that she would remain faithful to him during his absence.

The Dormant Lake (眠れる湖)

“All these lines of connections, yet I don’t see a better way than the Kabuki theatre to help connect with each other”

The Kabuki theatre is at the center of the entertainment in the floating world in Edo, as it is the heart at the origins of passions and dreams. The representation is usually organized around the story of three characters: the male hero, the female hero, and the villain, all played by male actors. Saki plays the female hero, and he is from the Dormant Lake.

Saki of the Dormant Lake (眠れる湖の紗希)

The Dawn Lagoon is known for being the land of residence of the Nabeshima vampire-cat. The creature drinks the blood of ladies, in order to take their appearance and to seduce their pretendant.

The Dawn Lagoon (夜明けの湖沼)

“People come to the theater to dream, and a dream is what I give them.”

The Kabuki theatre is at the center of the entertainment in the floating world in Edo, as it is the heart at the origins of passions and dreams. The representation is usually organized around the story of three characters: the male hero, the female hero, and the villain, all played by male actors. Kyūjū plays the male hero, and he is from the Dawn Lagoon.

Katsuwaka of the Dawn Lagoon (夜明けの湖沼の勝川)

The Shadow village is famous for its neighbour querels. A couple’s dog once found a treasure in the ground. Their neighbour tried to use the dog as well, and killed it when they realized that it wouldn’t help them. A strange shadow floats over the village eversince.

The Shadow Village (幻の村)

“Electricity will change the shape of Japan, and I will be the one shaping it.”

Okuni is the creator of the Kabuki theatre, which is the main attraction in Ukiyo. She grasped the power electricity could have at a very early stage, allowing her to gain a large influence over the floating world. She comes from the Shadow Village.

Okuni of the Shadow Village (幻の村の阿国)

Some say that Fuji, the ancient goddess of fire, trained on the floating world before creating in one day the volcano that would make her famous amongst all humans.

The Mist Volcano ((霧がかかった火山)

“My silver microphone will be heard from all over the country, only then will they all know who IAM."

Kamio is a renowned singer, made famous after using the silver microphone to add some lyrics to the traditional instrumental music of Ukiyo. He suffered many criticism, before being accepted by a younger generation. He comes from the region of the Mist Volcano.

Kamio of the Mist Volcano (霧がかかった火山の信)

Namazu is a giant catfish who lives in the mud near the bay. He is known for being held prisonner attached a rock. Whenever its keepers aren’t watching, he tries to escape, causing violent earthquakes.

Catfish bay (鯰の湾)

“The latest advancements at the service of the greatest entertaiments. I couldn’t see any better application.”

Chieko is the most famous musician of Ukiyo. She is known for playing the biwa, which she amplified after hearing one of the many possible applications of electricity. She was raised on the Catfish bay.

Chieko of the Catfish Bay (ナマズの海岸の千枝子)

Some say that they have seen Inari, the fox divinity of agriculture, climbing the lonely mountain. Since then, many farmers have settled there.

The Lonely Mountain (孤独な山)

"Another promise that will change the lives of a few lucky highborns.”

San works in a silk manufacture. For generations, his family has seen different innavations make their way into the Japanese society, without ever improving their quality of life. His property is located on the western side of the Lonely Mountain.

San of the Lonely Mountain (孤独な山のサン)

The Memories Glacier earnt its name from the legend of the Mirror. It is said that one that travels there might see the faces of his lost relatives through the ice.

Memories Glacier (思い出の氷河)

“This new magic will anihilate society as we know it. Don’t expect me to take part in it."

Since his youngest age, Hayao has been training and following the precepts of his mighty stables master, in order to make his way into the Sumo world. He hasn’t been defeated for as long as anyone can remember. He was born in the Memories Glacier region.

Hayao of the Memories Glacier (思い出の氷河の駿)

The region of the Two Passes is known as the place where the bravest of all mothers live. This legend follows the tale of Hara, and his mother who gave her life to allow her son to die as a vaillant samuraï.

The Two Passes (二つの峠)

"I see nothing natural in these changes, and how good is it if it doesn’t sustain the cycle of all things ?"

Ken is one of the few remaining samuraï masters. He dedicates his life to maintaining the equilibrium between all things, and follows the way of the warrior. He has always lived hidden, in exile, due to adversarial governmental policies. His village is situated in the Two Passes

Ken of the Two Passes (二つの峠の謙)

The region of the High red Pines is known as the shelter of the fountain of youth. This fountain allows anyone who tastes it to counter the power of aging.

High Red Pines (背の高い赤松)

"These abstract notions will never overthrow the art of making candles."

Bulma is a Geisha, a part of the population that participate in the entertainment of the floating world by performing different types of artistic activities. Bulma is especially famous for her talents in sculpting candles. She comes from a region recognizable by its abundance of High Red Pines.

Bulma of the High Red Pines (背の高い赤松 の ブルマ)

The Dry Harbour was once wet, and its deepness were inhabited by the Dragon King. After a brave diver stole a magnificent pearl from him, he cursed the region which has been dry eversince.

The Dry Harbour (無味乾燥な港)

"This all seemed a bit disturbing in the beginning, but I haven’t noticed any change in peoples’ appetence for partying"

Eikichi is one of the pillars of the floating world. He makes sure that everyone enjoys his travels in Ukiyo by providing some Shōchū to anyone showing sign of thirst. He comes from the Dry Harbour and he swore never to return there

Eikichi of the Dry Harbour (無味乾燥な港の英吉)

Electric Dreams of Ukiyo draws a parallel between the arrival of AI in our world and the introduction of electricity in traditional Japan. Each artwork is generated using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) on hundreads of thousands of japanese prints. Each character embodies a specific stance towards innovation while each landscape is rooted in a fictional legend. Through this fusion, the series reimagines the floating world of Ukiyo as a world caught between tradition and transformation.

Electric Dreams of Ukiyo

"Kupunguzwa is a representation of the enlightenment necessary for taking the right decision. Wearing the mask usually makes oneself accepted as the power of decision, as its properties force the bearer to take selfless decisions."

Kupunguzwa (Deduction)

"Habari allows the collection of relevant data when in need of addressing an issue. The mask is also known for allowing the transmission of information gathered by all ancient generations to the new one."

Habari (Information)

"Uchambuzi represents the power of separating the relevant from the irrelevant, and the detection of patterns and trends. The mask is also known for providing a competitive advantage for its holder as it allows to spot danger as well as opportunity."

Uchambuzi (Analysis)

"No matter the difficulty of the problem, if there is an optimal solution to it, it can be observed through the eyes of Mantiki. Strange effects have been observed on its bearers, the most notable being the inability to dream."

Mantiki (Logic)

"Uhusiano represents the power of distinguishing a pattern from the mess. It is mostly used during justice procedures, to properly identify the cause of a problem, or to discern the true implications a divergent action."

Uhusiano (Connection)

"Wearing the mask of Dhana grants the ability to see the bigger picture, and by doing so to understand the underlying. The story says anyone who wears this mask for too long will forget basic considerations and eventually die from thirst."

Dhana (Concept)

"Ulinzi grants us the most primary and to an extent the most essential feature of all, survival. It is also known as being the most effective barrier against physical threats such as diseases."

Ulinzi (Protection)

"Without Maarifa, any decision taken has the same probability as any other to lead to success. Wisdom is a core component of intelligence. Only a few people have the strength and experience of watching through Maarifa's eyes, as the weight of knowledge can crush the simple-minded."

Maarifa (Knowledge)

"Muingiliano grants the power of connexion, which is the ability to reduce understanding bias with a said interlocutor. This mask is often used during negotiations, although it is considered an unfair advantage."

Muingiliano (Interaction)

"Wearing the mask of Matarajio allows to foresee fragments of the future. Although unstable, it constitutes a strong tool for decision making. This is one of the rare masks used in combat, as it allows to predict some of the enemy's moves."

Matarajio (Anticipation)

"Feeling our surroundings is a most essential thing. One who has worn Usikivu knows this to be a truth. This mask has always been coveted by its devouts, and its carriage is known as being very addictive."

Usikivu (Sensitivity)

"Whenever facing a dilemma, Uamuzi systematically guides its bearer towards the best choice. Whether it is the right one depends on other factors such as the level of information available. Uamuzi's devouts are often seen as great counselors, and have built a reputation of being very open to collaboration."

Uamuzi (Decision)

"Whenever in need, Majibu helps us to answer with the correct action. Its power protects its bearer from suffering others' choices. The followers of Majibu are known for their susceptibility, and it is considered dangerous to deal with them without the power of another mask."

Majibu (Reaction)

"Its followers value the body as more than a host for the mind. Uwepo represents the most inherent and the most primal sense of intelligence. The mask is known for granting strong physical capacities to anyone who holds it, and is therefore used in combat, although wearing it for too long makes oneself forget the purpose of the fight."

Uwepo (Existence)

"The mask of Uhalisi represents the advantage of being different. Wearing it allows to see the world from another angle, and to find creative alternatives. The followers of Uhalisi are considered odd, and their ways often take a long time being broadly adopted."

Uhalisi (Originality)

"The advocates of Urembo see the ability to determine and assert aesthetic value as being the purest capacity. According to them, Urembo allows more than merely judging beauty: it provides a guidance to distinguish light from darkness."

Urembo (Beauty)

"Choosing to follow Umuhimu is a choice made by people who believe its powers will lead us to choose the most effective path of development for our society. The power of the mask is often used in a deviant way, in order to judge secret society members on their contribution to the cause."

Umuhimu (Usefulness)

"The followers of Harakati chose this school for its tendency to rush decisions. According to them, the road keeps the society safe, and the mask ensures their survival. According to tradition, the mask shouldn't stay at a given place for more than a few days."

Harakati (Movement)

"The mask of Usaidizi grants anyone who wears it with the ability to help and support another. Often used for earning favours, many believers still use it for self-satisfaction as well."

Usaidizi (Assistance)

"The mask of Udanganyifu allows its bearer to control the mind of others. Historically, its powers have been used to enforce convergence around an idea, and therefore ensuring its efficient development. Its virtues depend greatly on the idea itself, and therefore the mask bearer."

Udanganyifu (Manipulation)

"According to Ubunifu's followers, the ability to design novelty is not a feature, it's a must have. Ubunifu represents the most fascinating part of progress, the unexpected one. Although some don't consider them essential, followers of Ubunifu often try to provide reasons for being admired."

Ubunifu (Creativity)

"Otomatiki provides the ability to perform anything which has been done in the past with at least the same efficiency. It is said that wearing the mask and transmitting it to the next generation allows never to forget. Therefore, this mask is considered a great component of progress."

Otomatiki (Automation)

Facets of AGI depicts the belief surrounding Artificial General Intelligence through a series of 22 masks, each of them a facet of intelligence with a fictional use attached to it. The masks were created using Generative Adversarial Networks on a large database of pictures of African masks. The series aims at questioning the belief in the emergence of an intelligence superior to the human one, a subject which divides humanity, regardless of one's level of information on the question. The masks were shaped by a Ghanaian craftsman from the images created using generative algorithms.

Facets of AGI

Parietal (art)
/pəˈrʌɪɪt(ə)l/
adjective
Parietal art is a term for art in caves, the definition usually extended to art in rock shelters under cliff overhangs.

Burner (graffiti)
/ˈbɜː(r)nə(r)/
noun
A large, more elaborate type of piece. The piece could be said to be "burning" out of the wall, billboard, or train-side.

Parietal Burner #1 x RAWS

Parietal Burner #2 x BOND TRULUV

Parietal Burner #3 x SOKLAK

Parietal Burner #4 x SHOE

Parietal Burners bridges the gap between the most ancient and one of the most contemporary forms of art, both born on walls. Inspired by prehistoric cave paintings gathered at Lascaux Cave, and created in collaboration with different street artists, the series of limited editions uses AI to reconcile the most instinctive and primal forms of expression.

Parietal Burners

“In this palace he erected very high walls, supported by stone pillars; and by planting what was called a pensile paradise, and replenishing it with all sorts of trees, he rendered the prospect an exact resemblance of a mountainous country.”
(Flavius Josephus, CE 93, Against Apion, Book I, 128)

“The walls, 22 feet thick, were made of brick. The bases of the tiered sections were sufficiently deep to provide root growth for the largest trees.”
(Diodorus Siculus, BCE 54, Library of History, Book II, 10)

“We read, too, of hanging gardens, and what is even more than this, a hanging city, Thebes in Egypt: it being the practice for the kings to lead forth their armies from beneath, while the inhabitants were totally unconscious of it. This, too, is even less surprising than the fact that a river flows through the middle of the city.”
(Pliny the Elder, CE 77, The Natural History, BOOK XXXVI, 20)

Hanging Gardens of Babylon 1.1

“To you, O Sun, the people of Dorian Rhodes set up this bronze statue reaching to Olympus, when they had pacified the waves of war and crowned their city with the spoils taken from the enemy. Not only over the seas but also on land did they kindle the lovely torch of freedom and independence. For to the descendants of Herakles belongs dominion over sea and land.“
(Dedicatory inscription of the Colossus)

“Why man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we petty men Walk under his huge legs and peep about To find ourselves dishonourable graves”
(William Shakespear, CE 1600, Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene II)

“The brazen giant of Greek fame with conquering limbs astride from land to land”
(Emma Lazarus, CE 1883, The New Colossus)

Colossus of Rhodes 1.1

“At a moderate height in one of the sides is a stone, which may be taken out; when that is removed, there is an oblique passage to the tomb.”
(Strabo, BCE 17, The Geographica, Book XVII.1)

”Accident has consigned to oblivion the names of those who erected such stupendous memorials of their vanity”
(Pliny the Elder, CE 77, The Natural History, BOOK XXXVI, 17)

“Two of these are even numbered among the Seven Wonders of the World, for they are a stadium in height, are quadrangular in shape, and their height is a little greater than the length of each of the sides; and one of them is only a little larger than the other.”
(Strabo, BCE 17, The Geographica, Book XVII,1)

Great Pyramid of Giza 1.1

“And likewise the extremity of the isle is a rock, which is washed all round by the sea and has upon it a tower that is admirably constructed of white marble with many stories and bears the same name as the island.”
(Strabo, BCE 17, Geographia, Volume VIII, 17, Egypt and Ethiopia)

“The lighthouse was constructed from large blocks of light-coloured stone. The tower was made up of three tapering tiers: a lower square section with a central core; a middle octagonal section; and, at the top, a circular section“
(Muhammad al-Idrisi, CE 1154, Geography, Volume III, 4)

“Therefore this tower, in a straight and upright line, appears to cleave the sky from countless stadia away, during the day, but throughout the night quickly a sailor on the waves will see a great fire blazing from its summit.“
(Posidippus of Pella, BCE 300, Epigrams)

Lighthouse of Alexandria 1.1

“The tomb was erected on a hill overlooking the city. A stairway flanked by stone lions led to the top of the platform, which bore along its outer walls many statues of gods and goddesses.”
(Unknown Author)

“The one [tomb] at Halicarnassus was made for Mausolus, king of the city, and it is of such vast size, and so notable for all its ornament, that the Romans in their great admiration of it call remarkable tombs in their country - Mausolea”
(Pausanias, CE 170, Description of Greece, Book VIII, 16)

“The building was rectangular, not square, surrounded by a colonnade of thirty-six columns. There was a pyramidal superstructure receding in twenty four steps to the summit.”
(Pliny the Elder, The Natural History, Book XXXVI, 30-31)

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus 1.1

“The floor in front of the image was paved with black tiles and surrounded by a raised rim of marble to contain the oil. This reservoir acted as a reflecting pool which doubled the apparent height of the statue”
(Pausanias, Description of Greece, Book V, 11)

“The statue gives the impression that if Zeus arose and stood erect he would unroof the temple.”
(Strabo, BCE 17, Geographica, Book VIII, 3)

“The throne featured painted figures and wrought images and was decorated with gold, precious stones, ebony, and ivory.”
(Pausanias, Description of Greece, Book V, 11)

Statue of Zeus at Olympia 1.1

“I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon on which is a road for chariots, and the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, and the hanging gardens, and the colossus of the Sun, and the huge labour of the high pyramids, and the vast tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the house of Artemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their brilliancy, and I said, «Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on aught so grand.“
(Antipater of Sidon, BCE 140 Greek Anthology IX.58)

“And afterwards around that image was raised a shrine of broad foundations. That it shall dawn behold nothing more divine, naught richer.”
(Callimachus, BCE 238, Hymns III. to Artemis, v. 248-250)

“A wonderful monument of Grecian magnificence, and one that merits our genuine admiration.”
(Pliny the Elder, CE 77, The Natural History, BOOK XXXVI, 21)

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus 1.1

7.1 is a series of oil paintings depicting the seven ancient wonders as described in the ancient texts, and seen through the lenses of text-to-image algorithms. Through a painstaking bibliography in collaboration with historians, the series is born from gathering the references to the seven ancient wonders and using them to create historically informed contemporary interpretations of the lost wonders.

""She cascades from the hollow of a volcano, her thoughts embrace the skys, and her fire sweeps across the earth, nourishing its vessels until weariness is found, and sometimes the anger falls silent."""

The Anger Falls Silent

""And if at times I cast my gaze behind, to savor the stagnant elixir's sweet, long-buried grief, I find in its languor a haven of strife, where a delicious melancholy claims my soul."""

Stagnant Elixir's Sweet

""The thread of clarity remains, unraveling along wild thoughts galloping across the fertile soil of the mind, settling here and there into melancholic dunes. They sleep before embracing the winds under the sorrowful gaze of anonymous melancholies."""

Thread of Clarity

""There stretch the lavender hills, exalting until breath is lost, infusing the earth with their contagious joy. They care nothing for orders, they whisper purity, let it steep in their twisted depths, then release it into the air, making it divine."""

They Whisper Purity

""In the shadow of a tsunami, the pasture men quarrel over teems with life. The force of chaos, now subdued, wanders peacefully, and mirrors back to anarchy the sweet dream each one holds deep within their soul."""

In the Shadow of a Tsunami

""Emotion seizes his gut, boiling with ambivalent commands, struggling to defend the fortress within. His reflection, soft as a cactus in the depths of a freshwater well."""

Soft as a Cactus

""On my cloud, in the nebula of skies split in two, I will dive. I will close my eyes, let the wind tear through my senses, and fly until I am flattened where no one waits for me. Then they will place their marbles upon me, and only they will know what I’m made of."""

On My Cloud

""Sometimes I search for my path, and I am commanded to follow this crooked star, swaying at the end of a thread, a puppet of the vastness. It drags behind a herd of sheep, fresh from the extinguishers of sleep."""

Extinguishers of Sleep

""A parade of reflections radiates from the ground. The heart, a core of dubious geology, sends signals and torments twin worlds. Spirits swell with pride at their ability to grasp the absurd."""

Parade of Reflections

""Under a rain of sand, a timeless face-to-face with the marble moon. She cradles her secrets, polishing them until they reflect the outside world, drowning them in the celestial expanse to form a canopy of pebbles, indistinguishable to the touch, blinding to the eye."""

The Marble Moon

""Carried by the combined optimism of hundreds of the desperate, she slips between the lines, dripping and feeding the young sprouts with fresh blood, raising them like iron vines. In her bath, the creatures came to drink pride."""

Iron Vines

""Beneath a honeycombed sky, the faces of sound merchants descend in ripples, their roots extending into infinity, and the walls of their silhouettes give birth to distant mirages."""

Sound Merchants

""At last, I will glimpse the end of things, I will finally have the strength to meet winter and her self-sustained glow. I will shed my dreams and climb the icy tunnel that leads me to you."""

Her Self-Sustained Glow

""The biphasic tears of joy from the brothers of labor will come to feed the millennial lakes, and in them, our sins will bathe, then escape us like smoke from a chimney, rising in spirals, becoming insurmountable."""

Biphasic Tears of Joy

""There, surprises abound, a layered mille-feuille of sublime events that answer one another, climbing together the rungs that condition thought. The oasis swells into a translucent branching, destined to light up the world."""

A Translucent Branching

""To confront the commotion of time, the fungal outgrowths explore every corner of color. They have chosen to live, to trade their caps for the sky, which already crowns infinity."""

Fungal Outgrowths

""Arbitrarily deposited in the hollow of apostrophic scents exhaled by the autumn beach, cockroaches lounge under canopies, slipping beneath things when the storm comes."""

Apostrophic Scents

""Even above the celestial bodies, the milky canyon, so subtly carved, disintegrates into a multitude of meridians, and as it grows, combustion takes shape."""

Combustion Takes Shape

""It spares only those unwilling to see the moment, the golden mound crossing the night, springing up against time, and within it feeds the persistent mist that never reveals its intentions."""

Artworks

PHYSICAL

DIGITAL