Primary Forest — is a hybrid immersive artwork, 27-minute physical installation and 3D Metaverse UHD images generated by AI
Threatening a world we fear is already lost, human colonization progresses inexorably.
Having reached what would seem to be a point of no return, can we still believe that technology is compatible with ecology?
Is it still possible to hope to regain a natural balance between the innocence of a primordial world and urban civilization?
Denis Semionov and Louis Cacciuttolo ask this question with primAIry forest, an immersive art installation in a physical space and on a Metaverse platform, created by the artists in collaboration with artificial intelligence.
Having reached what would seem to be a point of no return, can we still believe that technology is compatible with ecology?
Is it still possible to hope to regain a natural balance between the innocence of a primordial world and urban civilization?
Denis Semionov and Louis Cacciuttolo ask this question with primAIry forest, an immersive art installation in a physical space and on a Metaverse platform, created by the artists in collaboration with artificial intelligence.
| Transcending A.I. With primAIry forest, the two creators tame this new tool that is artificial intelligence, while granting it powers that only a human creator is currently able to give it. Indeed, artificial intelligence plays a dual role here:
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| A Sculptural installation The visitor wanders freely, without time limit, in a forest of trunks, surrounded by panoramic screens on the walls of the room. The screens light up the space, making it go from day to night. These trunks (potentially charred for some), stand like the ruins of a temple, like the columns of a world we know and could lose. These trunks are as much a melancholic environment as they are aids for the spectators who can sit on some that are low enough, or lean against the taller ones. The visitor can sit at the foot of what was once a tree. They can thus contemplate, on the screens, the memory of the forest, hallucinated by artificial brain. In the center of the room: the artificial brain, a server, in the form of a minimalist black monolith punctuated with a few LEDs. |
| The Production Produced by VRROOM on an original graphic concept by Denis Semionov and music by Louis Cacciuttolo, the work consists of an immersive art installation for physical spaces, coupled with a social virtual reality Metaverse version. |
| Scaling up to an industrial scale The immersive physical installation of primAIry forest is complemented by a Metaverse extension accessible in VR on the VRROOM and the VRChat platforms. This hybridization allows for a widening of the audience reached, with a borderless proposition, while also opening up the work to a complementary dimension of experience. |
As a new media artist, I, Saint Denis, collaborated with composer Louis Cacciuttolo to create an AI-driven vision of the Amazonian rainforest. Our 27-minute audiovisual piece “primAIry forest” explores the intersection of nature and technology, blending organic and synthetic elements.
Using Midjourney for visuals and Deforum Stable Diffusion for animation, we crafted a surreal boat journey through the Amazon, from its wild, untouched beauty to a future where city and nature coexist. The narrative captures the birth of electricity in the forest, showing both the beauty and brutality of nature alongside human actions.
I developed an algorithm that guided the video’s rhythm, blending multiple visual versions into one cohesive narrative. The animation was slowed by 50% to achieve a mesmerizing, dreamlike quality. This work invites viewers to reflect on the delicate balance between technological progress and environmental preservation.
Using Midjourney for visuals and Deforum Stable Diffusion for animation, we crafted a surreal boat journey through the Amazon, from its wild, untouched beauty to a future where city and nature coexist. The narrative captures the birth of electricity in the forest, showing both the beauty and brutality of nature alongside human actions.
I developed an algorithm that guided the video’s rhythm, blending multiple visual versions into one cohesive narrative. The animation was slowed by 50% to achieve a mesmerizing, dreamlike quality. This work invites viewers to reflect on the delicate balance between technological progress and environmental preservation.
Saint Denis
There is an absolute necessity to use progress as a weapon of redemption/resilience, urgency to establish harmony between ecology and technology, awareness that this point of equilibrium is very difficult to achieve, primAIry forest, in its composition as well as in its construction, was born from these observations.
I have constructed this music like a network made up of different sound objects, like a wandering as well, through organic, natural, human, orchestral, electronic elements, which would only pass by as in a forest that we cross and leave behind us, fleeting vestiges of an endless time and space where nature ultimately reclaims its rights.
I have constructed this music like a network made up of different sound objects, like a wandering as well, through organic, natural, human, orchestral, electronic elements, which would only pass by as in a forest that we cross and leave behind us, fleeting vestiges of an endless time and space where nature ultimately reclaims its rights.
Louis Cacciuttolo
The physical installation format
OPTION 1 :
50 sq.m. (approximately 540 sq.ft.) installation space
Capacity of 38 people per session
3 screens, each measuring 4 meters (13.8 ft.) wide by 2.5 meters (7.2 ft.)
3 projectors
Stereo sound system
Ambient lighting to complement the overall experience
OPTION 2 :
100 sq.m. (approximately 1,080 sq.ft.) installation space
Capacity of 75 people per session
1 screen, measuring 6 meters (19.7 ft.) wide by 3 meters (9.8 ft.) high
Christie Boxer series projector7.1 channel
Stereo sound system
Ambient lighting to complement the overall experience
OPTION 3 :
200 sq.m. (approximately 2,150 sq.ft.) installation space
Capacity of 150 people per session
1 screen, measuring 6 meters (19.7 ft.) wide by 3 meters (9.8 ft.) high
Christie Boxer series projector7.1 channel
Stereo sound system
Ambient lighting to complement the overall experience
CUSTOM OPTION :
The work can adapt to the technical format of the immersive space hosting the installation.
OPTION 1 :
50 sq.m. (approximately 540 sq.ft.) installation space
Capacity of 38 people per session
3 screens, each measuring 4 meters (13.8 ft.) wide by 2.5 meters (7.2 ft.)
3 projectors
Stereo sound system
Ambient lighting to complement the overall experience
OPTION 2 :
100 sq.m. (approximately 1,080 sq.ft.) installation space
Capacity of 75 people per session
1 screen, measuring 6 meters (19.7 ft.) wide by 3 meters (9.8 ft.) high
Christie Boxer series projector7.1 channel
Stereo sound system
Ambient lighting to complement the overall experience
OPTION 3 :
200 sq.m. (approximately 2,150 sq.ft.) installation space
Capacity of 150 people per session
1 screen, measuring 6 meters (19.7 ft.) wide by 3 meters (9.8 ft.) high
Christie Boxer series projector7.1 channel
Stereo sound system
Ambient lighting to complement the overall experience
CUSTOM OPTION :
The work can adapt to the technical format of the immersive space hosting the installation.
Pavillion Design
To be concerned
Opus format options (IRL and/or Metaverse)
Option 1 :
Film projection in loop
1 central screen adapting to the room size, 1 projector, 1 stereo sound system, 1 optional ambilight system to enhance the immersive feel (est. 18K Euros)
The film can also be displayed without sound as a background for specific events.
Option 2 :
Live projection event
1 central screen adapting to the room size, 1 projector, 1 stereo sound system, 1 DJ booth for live music performance, 1 optional ambilight system to enhance the immersive feel (est. 22K Euros)
The event can be followed by a live electronic/clubbing music session with original compositions by Louis Cacciuttolo
Option 3 :
Immersive arts installation
1 central screen adapting to the room size, 1 projector, 1 stereo sound system, 1 ambilight system, trees decoration and furniture (est. 38K Euros)
*Metaverse broadcast optional, est. 10K Euros.
Option 1 :
Film projection in loop
1 central screen adapting to the room size, 1 projector, 1 stereo sound system, 1 optional ambilight system to enhance the immersive feel (est. 18K Euros)
The film can also be displayed without sound as a background for specific events.
Option 2 :
Live projection event
1 central screen adapting to the room size, 1 projector, 1 stereo sound system, 1 DJ booth for live music performance, 1 optional ambilight system to enhance the immersive feel (est. 22K Euros)
The event can be followed by a live electronic/clubbing music session with original compositions by Louis Cacciuttolo
Option 3 :
Immersive arts installation
1 central screen adapting to the room size, 1 projector, 1 stereo sound system, 1 ambilight system, trees decoration and furniture (est. 38K Euros)
*Metaverse broadcast optional, est. 10K Euros.
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Denis SemionovDenis Semionov aka Saint Denis is a new media artist, co-founder and director at SAINT D Studio. Saint Denis generally creates virtual and artificial intelligence art. He works primarily in the fields of audio-visual performance and immersive installation.
His particular works explore how the power of AI algorithms can create art pieces that challenge the boundaries of human imagination. Being immersed into AI and VR, he combines in his art creativity and cutting-edge technology. The artist is exploring how technologies generate new artistic forms, from paintings to music compositions. From 2023 Denis is a member of International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Denis has received a number of awards for his works including Nomination for Emmy Awards as Outstanding Interactive Media: Documentary (USA), Webby Award — People’s Voice Winner (USA), Red Dot — Best of the Best. His works have been presented internationally at South by Southwest (USA), New Images Film Festival by Forum des images (France), Venice Film Festival (Italy), Cannes Film Festival (France) etc. Currently he lives and works in France. -
Louis CacciuttoloLouis Cacciuttolo is a creative producer, composer, and filmmaker with over 20 years of experience in immersive experiences and innovative technologies. As the founder and artistic director of Théâtre du Minotaure, he transformed it into a hub for interactive performances and immersive art.
Known for his expertise in the Metaverse, Louis produced the record-breaking virtual concert "Welcome to the Other Side" with Jean-Michel Jarre in 2021. At VRROOM, he developed a multimodal social XR platform, merging VR, AR, and AI.
Under the pseudonym m1n0t0r, Louis composes electronic music and performs virtual DJ sets. His feature film "Cendre" earned multiple awards at international festivals. As EVP at THX, he collaborated with Hollywood studios to maintain high audiovisual standards. Louis continues to push creative boundaries, blending art and technology.
Sustainable and Trustworthy AI
Some of the softwares we use are not aligned with the environmental standards that we hope for.
We are committed on several fronts to limit our carbon footprint and raise awareness of these issues:
Some of the softwares we use are not aligned with the environmental standards that we hope for.
We are committed on several fronts to limit our carbon footprint and raise awareness of these issues:
- Create highly optimized 3D environments
- Calculating the carbon footprint of our creations, the time spent in all creation software (Unity, Github which has already integrated a green calculator, Blender, 4d cinema.)
- Creation of a specification for creators using our platform with guidelines on the topic of carbon footprint, with incentives for the use of more responsible VR headsets or partner software.
- And in particular the creation of content on the platform to raise awareness on these issues, including the primAIry forest work hosted on VRROOM to raise awareness of environmental issues.
The potential societal impact of "primAIry forest"
Our objective for primAIry forest is not only to raise awareness, but also to take action.
Based on the UN's recommendations for sustainable development, our primAIry forest project supports Objective 15 concerning terrestrial life, to raise awareness about deforestation and desertification, which pose major challenges to sustainable development.
Our objective for primAIry forest is not only to raise awareness, but also to take action.
Based on the UN's recommendations for sustainable development, our primAIry forest project supports Objective 15 concerning terrestrial life, to raise awareness about deforestation and desertification, which pose major challenges to sustainable development.