The GIEC in luminous Morse code: making the inaudible visible.
Installation. With Hello World, Fabien Léaustic presents a light installation that appears simple at first, yet is rich in meaning. The work displays the message “HELLO WORLD” in large letters, a phrase well known in the world of computer programming. For decades, this formula has served as a first test to check that a program is working. It thus symbolizes entry into the world of digital technology. But one detail disrupts this apparent clarity: one of the “O”s begins to blink. This blinking is not random. It follows a precise rhythm, inspired by Morse code, translating into light the entirety of the latest report by the GIEC, the international scientific body responsible for studying climate change. The message is transformed. The initial “HELLO WORLD” can be read another way: “HELL WORLD.” This visual shift, almost imperceptible at first glance, reveals a deep disconnect between two realities. On one side, an often optimistic technological discourse, focused on innovation and progress. On the other, scientists’ repeated warnings about the state of the planet and the consequences of global warming. By translating a scientific report into light signals, the work highlights a very real difficulty: making this information understandable and emotionally tangible for the general public. Morse code, which few people know how to decipher today, becomes a metaphor for this distance. The data exists, and it is precise, yet it often remains difficult to hear and fully grasp. Presented in public space, particularly in the context of Nuit Blanche, the installation plays with light and darkness. Visible from afar, it first attracts attention through its familiar, graphic appearance. Then, as viewers move closer, they discover a second, more unsettling layer of meaning. The work then acts as a signal: both aesthetic and critical, immediate and profound. With Hello World, Fabien Léaustic does not seek to provide an answer, but to open up a space for reflection. He invites each of us to become aware of the gap between what we know, thanks to scientific research, and what we actually do. Between a greeting message and a warning signal, the installation confronts us with a simple but essential question: what world are we building? In partnership with Le Cube - Garges Curated by Fabien Léaustic With the support of the Mairie de Paris Centre
Source: paris.fr — photo: ©Fabien_Léaustic_Adagp_Photographies, ADAGP, Paris 2026