Polytopes 2025

Fifty years ago, Xenakis’s Polytope transformed the Cluny thermal baths into an electrifying spectacle of light and sound that immersed the spectator in a hurricane of electronics. In June 2022, the ExperiensS digital art studio and Pierre Carré (IRCAM) revived this visionary work, reconstructing its monumental scale with Were You There at the Beginning, a new polytope created in collaboration with the /nu/thing collective.

Now, a new generation of artists steps into this immersive installation, bringing fresh perspectives to its legacy. CHLOE, an artist driven by her love for cinema, electronics, and sonic experimentation, collaborates with ExperiensS to craft a bold new experience. Meanwhile, 665.99—the brainchild of TremensS and Ténèbre—explores human-machine interaction, noise, and deep sensory immersion. Then as now, the challenge remains: to reimagine sound, light, and architecture in a shared space of incandescence.

Commissioned and produced by IRCAM-Centre Pompidou. With support from the Mondes Nouveaux programme for artistic creation and the Ulysses Platform co-funded by the European Union. Co-produced by CENTQUATRE-PARIS, ExperiensS. IRCAM and the CENTQUATRE-PARIS are partners for experimental performance projects. 

Photo: © Stephane Sby Balmy / ExperiensS