“Phytopoiesis”: can anything be an artist?

In a desire to oppose, and de facto to bring closer, art and technology, the artistic duo Sceonocosme created “Phytopoiesis”. This interactive installation connects spectators with a living plant and artificial intelligence. Each in their own way, by activating, touching or generating, contributes to the creative process. Grégory Lasserre & Anaïs met den Ancxt will present their artwork at 2025 edition of Recto VRso, immersive art festival.

Nature, art and technology

Since 2003, the artistic duo Grégory Lasserre & Anaïs met den Ancxt have been collaborating under the name Scenocosme. This pair of French artists places interaction and sensory experience at the heart of their creative process. Their work seeks to actively engage spectators in their installations, fostering a dialogue between art and technology. The name Scenocosme is a fusion of “scenography” and “microcosm,” reflecting their intention to invite audiences to craft fleeting, miniature universes through interaction with their artworks.

“Phytopoesis” is an interactive installation that merges visual and sound elements. It incorporates a living plant organism alongside the human presence, embodied by the spectators. When a user touches the plant’s leaves, which react to electrostatic energy, it triggers a dynamic interplay of images and sounds. To create these elements, the artists use artificial intelligence. The plant is connected to a computer, enabling it to send prompts to the AI, which then generates unique images tailored to each spectator.

These images emerge and transform in real time on a screen, creating a hybridation that symbolizes the connection between plant life and humans. Blending elements such as flesh, sap, blood, roots, leaves, and hair, they illustrate an organic intertwining of both worlds. “In this installation like in most of our atworks, we want to create a symbolic mirror with the body, in order to generate sensitive interactions that question our contemporary relationships with the environment”, says the duo.

Can AI be an artist?

This installation prompts reflection on the significance and regard we assign to each form of life. The integration of a plant with artificial intelligence raises several questions: “How could a living being other than a human have a specific relationship with an AI? How might a plant interact with it? Can the capabilities of a plant be increased through the use of artificial intelligence? In this case, can the plant be considered an artist?”

Grégory and Anaïs challenge the concept of intelligence and the very definition of an artist. Does creating art require being its original source? Does participating in the artistic process make one an artist? Can AI, by generating images, attain the status of an artist? Can any living being, even a plant, be considered an artist? Building on their practice of involving spectators in the creative process, the Scenocosme duo seeks to push these boundaries further and expand the possibilities of participation.

Their work already received many awards and was exhibited worldwide, for example in Germany, Korea, Russia, Canada, Australia and China. Their interactive installation “Phytopoiesis” is part of the official selection of immersive art festival Recto VRso. Discover the universes of Scenocosme on April 10-13, 2025.