Musée d’Orsay in Paris is set to host its first-ever NFT exhibition, featuring the works of the electronic music artist, Agoria. The event, titled "Le Code d’Orsay," will run from February 13th to March 10th, 2024, encompassing a dynamic mix of digital art, conferences, and a DJ set.
Agoria, also known as Sébastien Devaud, stands out as a prominent figure in both the digital art and international electronic music scenes. His creations, born out of the Web3 revolution, reflect a synergy of physical and virtual elements, bridging the tangible with the cryptic.
The month-long event is set to be a testament to the intersection of art, technology, and science. Agoria’s unique approach, defined as Biological Generative Art, involves the use of algorithms, artificial intelligence, and data from the living world. Collaborating with scientists, Agoria aims to bring the living world into the blockchain, marking a significant step in the evolution of digital art.
“Le Code d’Orsay” will feature three main events, showcasing Agoria’s innovative works that resonate with the museum’s collections and are developed on the Tezos blockchain. The first piece, “Σ Lumina,” is a participative and experimental sculpture, inviting visitors to engage with digital works of art by blowing on their smartphones. These interactive digital pieces, inspired by masterpieces from the museum’s collections, exist as NFTs on the Tezos blockchain, offering a unique and personalized experience for each participant.
Agoria and Johan Lescure, {Σ LUMINA} Photo © Cédric Corroy
The second piece, “Interpretation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae of The Painter’s Studio by Gustave Courbet,” delves into the realm of biological generative art. Collaborating with scientists, Agoria explores the connection between memory, transmission, and the living world. The digital piece breathes life into Courbet’s iconic painting, revealing its living nature through a meticulously curated yeast-growing experiment.
To delve deeper into Agoria’s creative process, a conference is scheduled for February 22nd, 2024, featuring Agoria, biologists, and physicists who contributed to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae project. The conference, moderated by Fabrice Bousteau, Editor-in-chief of Beaux-Arts magazine, will explore the role of the living world in Agoria’s creations and the symbiotic relationship between art and science.
The grand finale of “Le Code d’Orsay” will be Agoria’s DJ set on February 23rd, 2024, transforming the museum’s nave into an immersive musical experience. Agoria, a versatile artist with seven albums under his belt, will showcase a musical piece crafted as a tribute to the Musée d’Orsay.
This groundbreaking exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Tezos Foundation, a key partner of the Musée d’Orsay. Curated by Christophe Leribault and Virginie Donzeaud, the exhibition promises to breathe new life into the museum’s treasures, fostering a dialogue between the age of modernity and contemporary innovations.
In Agoria’s own words, “I try to connect the physical with the digital, the living with the cryptic. Although digital and physical are often in opposition, I try to reverse this relationship and reconcile them.”
“Le Code d’Orsay” is a visionary journey into the realms of art, music, and science, redefining the boundaries of creativity in the digital age. The Musée d’Orsay’s embrace of NFTs marks a pivotal moment in the intersection of traditional art institutions and the ever-evolving landscape of digital art.
