Marie, you are a writer and scriptwriter and have created two immersive experiences: 1,2,3…Bruegel! (Virtual Reality) and La Petite Danseuse (Augmented Reality). What led you to work on these new formats?

Marie Sellier – I have always sought to diversify my art practices  in a three-dimensional approach: seeing, knowing and moving go hand in hand. Augmented reality offers me a new, lively and marvellous variation, in which my mission is to capture the audience’s attention. To enchant them. The medium changes, but the aim remains the same: to familiarise the public with the work of art, to show them that it is accessible, that it deserves to be looked at to the smallest detail, and to make them want to come back and discover more.

“Within the great variety of available resources, augmented reality is a precious tool. It is a great opportunity.”

Marie Sellier

With a special  interest towards young audiences?

Marie Sellier – More than thirty years after the publication of my first book for children, I am still driven by a powerful desire to pass on my knowledge. It must be in my genes, inherited from my grandmother, who took me by the hand at a very early age and introduced me to a world much bigger than us: the world of ART.

Marie Sellier – Unlike many adults, young people are not yet gripped by the great fear of not being able to understand works of art because they don’t have the right codes.

Marie Sellier – They approach this new field with great spontaneity, curiosity and enthusiasm.  We need to make the most of this, do everything in our power to capture their attention and show them the tremendous wealth of our artistic heritage.

“This is essential because I’m convinced that art is not a luxury but an absolute necessity, a window through which we can better live and breathe.”

Marie Sellier

What has driven you – and perhaps baffled you – in the production process of these immersive experiences? 

Marie Sellier – These projects were an opportunity to meet new people and discover crafts and processes that I knew nothing about. They were conceived and developed in a spirit of complicity and respect. The human factor is particularly important in these productions, everyone plays a role. so trust is essential. It’s the best driving force!

How do you see the narrative, educational and transformative potential of immersive technology?

Marie Sellier – In my opinion, immersive experiences now have their rightful place alongside books and films in museums, libraries and cultural venues in general. They offer extremely lively and entertaining counterpoints to more traditional approaches. Their potential is enormous; the viewpoints and writings are just as varied as for the other media.

“The aim will always be to interest, astonish, enchant, make people laugh, smile … Make their hearts beat!”

Marie Sellier