Artist Impression.

When Gilles Barbier discovered a planet name generator on the Internet, he immediately wrote them down, on pages and pages: Sidaonov, Lumewei, Ivypso, Begreshan, Aenus, Moarilia, Begacarro, Thesonides, Gragua P10, Viri UH, Eleleth, Caritas, Amonlok IV, Ædoria Zeta, Caalos, Poolgatis 6, Foxenia 12, Argolia, Tolvana, Khaniman, Sizennia Minor, Wunchil, Campbudria, Tagdikar Wanol Moon, Zeta Patcania’s World, Zemkail, Mercesh 114… The poetic charge and scope of this litany of virtual worlds initially prompted him to link them together in a collection of plans and trajectories (Le Livre des Trajectoires [the book of trajectories]). Then he set about creating an image, beginning this series of paintings with the planets whose names he found most eloquent.

These planets, created by a generative AI, become new pictorial territories, sources of experimentation and freedom.