Digital artist Jérémy Griffaud puts the spectator at the heart of his creative approach.
Crédits photos : Jérémy Griffaud
In a pop and chaotic universe, Jérémy Griffaud takes us in hybrid realities, between drawing and digital, between history and innovation. “The Garden” is an expression of the spectator, without whom digital artworks would not have the same value. The digital artist hands over to his audience, who bring his art to life. “The Garden” is part of the 2025 edition’s selection of the immersive art festival Recto VRso, on April 10-13.
Enter a virtual Garden of Eden
“The Garden” is a virtual reality (VR) installation where the user is immersed in a colored virtual universe with psychedelic atmosphere. Visitors to the exhibition can observe its journey through an immersive projection system. For ten minutes or so, the spectator becomes a performer and the eyes of those watching. He is the master of ceremonies of this experience, and becomes an artist himself.
In this interactive and immersive environment, the spectator-performer is a gardener of the virtual. In front of him are unique plant species that he has to look after. In a tranquil, pop atmosphere, his role is to make them bloom, to grow new varieties. To create this universe, Jérémy Griffaud mixed watercolors, video-game techniques, virtual reality and monumental projection.
As is often the case in Jérémy Griffaud’s artistic work, “The Garden” transforms the participant into a performer; it’s their involvement in the experience that generates the artwork. Without them, there can be no translation or artistic expression. With this approach, the artist asks himself an underlying question: “What are we going to do with Nature in this age of advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and chemistry?”
Flipbooks, watercolours and virtual reality
French art critic Jean-Jacques Gay offers his own interpretation of “The Garden”. He sees in Jérémy Griffaud’s artistic expression a reference to flipbooks, small books that create an animated sequence when flipped through very quickly. In this artwork, the spectator-performer reveals the artist’s universe sheet by sheet, as he advances and participates. A state of dialogue is then created between the participant and Griffaud’s watercolors, where he mingles with them in a hybridization with his art.
One of Jérémy Griffaud’s intentions is also to create a collective experience. Indeed, while the spectator-performer creates the performance, it wouldn’t have the same impact without the other visitors. They are there to observe the cascade of images generated by the user who wears the VR headset. The experience cannot exist without the involvement of both parties. The viewer, whether actor or witness, is at the heart of Jérémy Griffaud’s artistic creation.
Originally from Nice, he has travelled the world to shape his work and approach. He has completed artist residencies in Norway, Poland and Malaysia. His artwork “The Garden”, produced in 2024, has already been exhibited seven times in Europe and Asia. Its presentation at the Recto VRso immersive art festival marks a new stage in his career as a digital artist, which already includes six installations. Come and discover Jérémy Griffaud’s world on April 10-13, 2025.
