Minerae

By Arnaud Laffond : :

MINERAE is an artistic exploration that seeks to dissolve the boundary between the physical and the digital — between what is tangible and what is invisible. Rooted in the philosophy of animism, the project questions the spiritual essence of matter, proposing that every element of nature, even stone, possesses a soul. Just as the first humans erected stones as sacred markers, MINERAE reactivates this ancient gesture through contemporary digital tools, transforming raw material into a poetic and sensory experience.

Conceived as a three-part initiatory journey: Contemplation, Experimentation, and Appropriation, the project invites the viewer to rediscover their relationship with matter and technology.

01. Contemplation
The journey begins with an encounter. The audience is invited to contemplate a series of sculptural forms — hybrid stones whose shapes oscillate between the familiar and the enigmatic. Their mineral presence evokes both the weight of geological time and a latent spiritual force. In this first act, the viewer faces the material in its purest state, perceiving its texture, silence, and mystery.

02. Experimentation
The second stage extends this dialogue through augmented reality. By using tablets, spectators can reveal invisible dimensions hidden within the sculptures, flows of energy, exchanges, and subtle communications between stones. These visual and sonic manifestations transform the sculptures into living entities. The digital layer, far from distancing the viewer, deepens their connection with matter by revealing what usually remains imperceptible. Technology becomes a bridge between worlds, erasing the line between the tangible and the immaterial.

03. Appropriation
Finally, MINERAE offers an interactive experience that invites physical engagement. Thanks to a large-scale projection system and Leap Motion technology, visitors can manipulate and explore the digital material with their hands, as if touching its virtual texture. This gesture symbolizes the complete merging of body and data, of mineral and digital , a moment where technology reawakens our primal sense of touch and wonder.

Through these three phases, MINERAE proposes a poetic and sensorial reflection on our contemporary relationship with technology and the natural world. It invites us to perceive the digital not as a disembodied realm, but as a living extension of matter , one that reconnects us to the spiritual and emotional essence of the world around us.