For the 2025 edition of Nuit Blanche, the artist duo Recycle Group unveils ‘La Résistance des IA,’ a work made from thermoformed plastic mesh that forms part of their deep reflection on the impact of new technologies—particularly artificial intelligence—on our lives. Here, the duo incisively explores the theme of humans being replaced by machines in the professional world, a reality that is becoming increasingly prevalent in contemporary societies. Through this installation, Recycle Group highlights various human reactions to this inexorable technological evolution: resistance, struggle, but also submission.
‘La Résistance des IA’ continues the line of inquiry they began with their solo exhibition at Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve in 2023, where they examined the concept of the barricade. In this piece, five human figures are depicted trapped within barricades—metaphors for the obstacles standing between humans and automation. The two central figures, a man and a woman, actively resist the hold of artificial intelligence. They fight to preserve their uniqueness and autonomy, resisting the technological invasion that threatens their place in the world of work. These figures embody the refusal to be supplanted by machines, symbolizing a humanity striving to maintain its role in the face of rising automation.
Surrounding them, other characters are also imprisoned within the barricades, but their stance is markedly different: their eyes are hidden beneath virtual reality headsets, symbolizing their submission to AI. They appear apathetic, as if they have given up the fight. These figures make no attempt to free themselves—resigned, or perhaps even unaware of the control that holds them.
With this work, Recycle Group thus not only questions the transformation of labor, but also examines how humans respond to this transition: by resisting, or by allowing themselves to be absorbed.
In this project, we are pleased to collaborate with Olga Smirnova and Jacopo Tissi, Principal ballet dancers with Dutch National Ballet, whose bodies were used as models for the central figures.
This work is particularly meaningful in this location, where the walls of the town hall often display slogans in support of freedom and human rights. ‘La Résistance des IA’ powerfully echoes these ideals — it portrays the struggle of individuals to preserve their identity and resist submission, highlighting the fundamental human desire to remain free in the face of technological domination.
