Deus Ex Urbana, architecture and generative art

“Deus Ex Urbana” is one of my most ambitious projects to date. With this series, I fuse architectural photography and generative art to imagine a possible future shaped by the consequences of climate change. Far from focusing solely on desolation, I seek to capture the unexpected beauty in ruined urban landscapes, witnesses to a society in transformation.

This project follows on from my earlier work, such as “Mémoire de Paysages” and “ReMIX”, which explore the relationship between urbanity and space. With “Deus Ex Urbana”, I take this reflection further still, using the city as a canvas where present and future intertwine.

The concept

Through “Deus Ex Urbana”, I seek to offer a vision of the world’s metropolises that is both dark and luminous. Each work reveals a world on the brink of change, where climatic and urban collapse gives way to a form of resurrection. My photographs and generative works show cities in decline, yet in which a certain beauty persists amid destruction and reconstruction.

The works in this series are accompanied by short stories that deepen the context of each image. These narratives serve as a bridge between my visual imagination and the universal stories that these urban visions can evoke. I want to offer viewers a more immersive experience, in which each work becomes a starting point for reflection on our place in this ever-changing world.

The creative process

My approach with “Deus Ex Urbana” combines traditional photographic techniques with advanced digital technologies. Through generative art, I create images that capture the evolution of urban spaces, reflecting both the fragility and the resilience of architectural structures in the face of the forces of change. It is an approach that blends observation and imagination, linking personal memories to hypothetical visions of a collective future.

Three works, three short stories

Cyclist swept up in a mini-tornado in a Parisian street, a symbol of fragility in the face of climate disasters in Deus Ex Urbana — A bicycle courier swept up in a tornado in the middle of Paris, symbolising the unpredictability of urban life in a climate crisis

Le Tourbillon de la Vie

“The tornado tore me off the ground without warning, my bike and I hurled into the air like toys. Spinning in this chaos, my life flashes before my eyes. I see again my endless days, one delivery after another for a few euros, struggling to make ends meet. Every street, every familiar building beneath me is a reminder of my precarious existence, of this economy that has left me without a safety net.

I think of my mother, worn out by her two jobs, and of my childhood dreams of becoming someone respected, of escaping this spiral of poverty. But reality has caught up with me, reducing me to this mere delivery rider, invisible to those I serve every day. The tornado seems to embody this precariousness, this relentless force that has always tossed me from one precarious job to another, never finding stability.

The gusts choke me, and each rotation makes me feel even more insignificant, at the mercy of the elements just as I have always been at the mercy of the whims of the economy. The buildings stream past, their gleaming windows indifferent to my struggle, just like the faces of customers who never really open their doors, content to ignore me once they have collected their order.

Suddenly, I feel a strange calm, a pause in the whirlwind. Perhaps this is the end, perhaps I will finally stop struggling. But in a flash, I realise that as long as I am breathing, there is a chance. A chance to survive this tornado, to find a way to get back up, to break this cycle of precariousness. For even as I am hurled through the air, there is in me a fierce determination not simply to be swept away by the wind.”

Flooded Paris with barges sailing around the Arc de Triomphe, a post-apocalyptic scene from the Deus Ex Urbana series — Flooded Paris, with barges sailing around the Arc de Triomphe, reflecting the aftermath of climate collapse

Les Canaux de Paris

“Every year, Paris turns into a new Venice, flooded by unexpected monsoons that turn the streets into canals. No one saw it coming, this climatic absurdity that is now part of our routine. Boats replace cars, and Parisians navigate with ironic nonchalance along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

I still remember the first time I saw the Arc de Triomphe reflected in the stagnant water. It was surreal, a mixture of wonder and despair. We had ignored the warnings, thinking it would never happen here. And now, every year, we bring out our boats and our rain boots again, ready for the inevitable deluge. Cafés offer gondola services, and tourists take selfies from boats in front of the drowned monuments.

Conversations have changed. We no longer talk about the weather in terms of sun or rain, but in terms of water levels. ‘Do you think we’ll still be able to walk to the metro next week?’ my neighbour asks, studying the forecast. ‘No, I think it would be better to take the boat,’ I reply, laughing.

Ironically, this recurring catastrophe has brought Parisians closer together. We share tips on the best navigation techniques, we help each other protect our homes against flooding. Perhaps this new Venice is our punishment for having ignored nature for too long. But deep down, we have found a way to survive, to reinvent ourselves, even in this aquatic chaos. Every wave is a reminder that nature will always have the last word.”

Cow in an urban courtyard surrounded by concrete walls, symbolising the contrast between nature and urbanism — A cow standing in an urban courtyard framed by concrete walls, capturing the contrast between nature and the city

La Ville à la Campagne

“Coming down the stairs of my building, I did not expect to stumble upon this scene. At the heart of this concrete courtyard, a cow grazes peacefully on the grass, unaware of how strange its presence is here. Around it, the tall concrete walls and barbed wire give this picture a surreal quality, an incongruous blend of nature and urbanism.

Climatic changes have driven many residents to flee, leaving deserted buildings behind them. The once-lively streets have fallen silent, and nature is beginning to reclaim its rights. Abandoned spaces are turning into small oases of greenery where wildlife ventures timidly. This cow is perhaps one of the first signs of this unexpected renewal.

I remember the stories my grandparents used to tell about the flourishing countryside, tales that seemed so far removed from our urban reality. And yet, watching this cow graze peacefully, I feel as though I am living a return to those bygone times. Nature, with its unshakeable resilience, always finds a way to assert itself, even in the most unlikely places.

This scene fills me with a strange hope. Perhaps, despite past mistakes and challenges yet to come, we can find a balance. The city and nature, once at odds, can learn to coexist. In the meantime, I contemplate this cow, symbol of this gradual return of nature, and I find myself dreaming of a future where our urban environments will be in harmony with wildlife.”

The series in images

Parisian street wrapped in golden veils with the Eiffel Tower in the background, symbolising the transformation of urban architecture

People gathered around a tree inside a lift, symbolising the struggle between nature and urbanisation in an urban environment

Giant wind turbine amid protesters in a Paris street, illustrating the energy transition and its social stakes

Sandstorm engulfing Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

Parisian house transported on a lorry along a road, illustrating the mobility of structures in a changing world

Exotic animals in the Tuileries Garden in Paris with the Louvre in the background.

Bathroom filled with sand with two men, symbolising the invasion of nature into a Parisian domestic space

Giant black cube in a forest surrounded by a city, symbolising the unknown and power in a world in transformation

Eiffel Tower overrun by vegetation, symbolising nature's reconquest of urban architecture in a post-apocalyptic world

Surreal interior scene with giant mushrooms invading a Parisian flat, symbolising the intrusion of nature into urban space

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur surrounded by jungle and abandoned buildings.

Giant crater at the centre of Paris with the Eiffel Tower and skyscrapers, symbolising a post-apocalyptic urban catastrophe

Concrete wall topped with barbed wire surrounding a community garden in an urban landscape, exploring residents' resilience against oppressive structures

Deer crossing a street in a Parisian suburb between concrete buildings, a surreal image from the Deus Ex Urbana series

Parisian flat overrun by green moss, with industrial chimneys outside, symbolising the invasion of nature into the city

House suspended above a cliff in Normandy, symbolising the vulnerability of architecture against the elements

Totem made of stacked cars with people praying, symbolising consumerism and the worship of material objects

Isolated modernist concrete house with warm light, surrounded by abandoned appliances in a barren landscape, from the Deus Ex Urbana series

Street in ruins in Paris with industrial walkways and the Arc de Triomphe, symbolising a dystopian future

Apocalyptic flood engulfing Paris, with waves crashing over the buildings, symbolising the fragility of urban infrastructure in the face of natural disasters

Immense iceberg near the Eiffel Tower on the Seine.

The exhibition at Galerie Europia

The “Deus Ex Urbana” series was exhibited at Galerie Europia, located at 15, avenue de Ségur, 75007 Paris, from June to September 2024. During this exhibition, I had the opportunity to share these works with a wider audience, in a setting that encouraged reflection on the future of metropolises and urban landscapes. The exhibition was conceived as a bridge between my reflections on urban and climatic collapse and our shared future, placing emphasis on the resilience of architecture and the environment.

The photographer among visitors at the opening, a golden-draped artwork in the background

The exhibition at Espace Brel

In February 2026, the town of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois hosted the second edition of “Deus Ex Urbana” at Espace Brel, rue de la Tour. The opening took place on Friday 13 February 2026, and the exhibition ran for a month, produced by the town’s cultural service.

A school class scattered through the timber-framed room of Espace Brel, three works on the wall — The Espace Brel room during a school visit

Above all, the exhibition lived through its visits: school groups — from the after-school programme to the Jules Ferry secondary school —, families from the local educational outreach scheme, weekend openings. Explaining to pupils how a photograph taken near their home becomes a climate fiction: those exchanges sparked a second, open-air chapter in the town’s parks, with new images made in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois.

The photographer, smiling, explains a work to a group of pupils seen from behind — Explaining the method to pupils

The photographer in front of the work Écho des Ruelles Silencieuses, a pupil raising his hand — In front of “Écho des Ruelles Silencieuses”

The opening speech at Espace Brel, the artist holding his notes — The opening, 13 February 2026

A pupil from behind, alone in front of the work Fuite vers l’insolite — In front of “Fuite vers l’insolite”

The open-air chapter — September 2026 → May 2027

From September 2026, the series leaves the walls: twenty 149 × 99 cm panels — nineteen images, thirteen of them photographed in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, plus an introduction panel — travel together, as a complete sequence, through three of the town’s parks. Parc Pablo Neruda in autumn, Parc Pierre in winter, La Boêle in spring. Free entry, during park opening hours.

Dates and addresses, the reading key, the making-of and all nineteen panels are detailed in the article dedicated to the exhibition.

Explore the “Deus Ex Urbana” series and discover the limited-edition art prints available for sale — contact me. These large-format photographs, signed and numbered, guarantee their exclusivity. Each work offers a unique perspective on the transformation of urban spaces. Contact me for more information on available works and art print prices.