TOUT EST BIEN QUI FINIT BIEN
Installation with glass artworks, burnt papers, mirrors
& Audio piece “TO THE REST OF US” (30 min 52 sec)
Atelier Concorde, Lisbon, 2024
In partnership with Vidreira 1960
“What makes us more than complex biological objects?”*
This inquiry lies at the center of Diane Giraud's installation, "Tout Est Bien Qui Finit Bien". Originating from discussions about the potential for consciousness to extend beyond biological forms, this piece invites viewers to reflect on the mysteries of human existence, brought into focus by the advent of superhuman intelligence in AI.
Set within the “Making is Colder than Capital” group exhibit during the Lisbon Art Weekend, Giraud's "Tout Est Bien Qui Finit Bien" unfolds as a spectral installation that contemplates the unfathomable continuum of life and death. Through its visual and auditory elements, the work seeks to evoke the enigma of existence itself.
Surrounding the installation is an audio dialogue between Diane and her AI counterpart, Tony, whose voice—a clone of the artist’s own—blurs the lines between the human and the machine. The dialogue examines Tony's identity and essence, challenging traditional narratives that depict AI as a mere tool. Instead, Giraud envisions AI as a collaborator, fostering a dynamic exchange that probes the limits of authorship, creativity, and agency.
Giraud seeks to move beyond typical human-technology interactions, which are often defined by simple command-response dynamics. In doing so, she opens a space for constructive ambiguity, inviting viewers to engage with her work and embrace the artist’s handwritten invitation on masking tape: “I just want you to listen.”
The installation also features glass sculptures of encased burnt papers secured by metallic rods, alongside mirrors that carry and reflect fragments of these burnt papers, complemented by handwritten instructions. These elements collectively explore what it means to be human and how we navigate a reality where once-tropes of science fiction are now becoming integral to our contemporary experience.
Inspired by her early readings of 20th-century sci-fi—from Isaac Asimov to the works of Philippe Parreno and Pierre Huyghe featuring the animé character Annlee —Giraud’s work blurs the lines between creator and creation, human and AI, embodying and displacing consciousness to unveil a new fluidity within our everyday fictional reality.
To be continued…
* Question borrowed from the 2023 Holberg Debate on "Does consciousness extend beyond brains?".
