Agoria (born January 16, 1976, in Lyon, France) is the stage name of Sébastien Devaud, a French multidisciplinary artist whose work connects the organic with the digital.
Known for his innovative approach to electronic music, Agoria blends techno, house, and experimental sounds to create rich, atmospheric compositions.
In recent years, Agoria has expanded his creative endeavors into the realm of art, focusing on biological generative art—a practice that integrates algorithms, artificial intelligence, and data from the living world to create dynamic, evolving works.
His installation {Sigma Lumina}, presented at the Musée d’Orsay in February 2024, reinterpretes classical masterpieces through this innovative approach, establishing a contemporary dialogue with historical art.
This exhibition marks a significant milestone, making Agoria the first digital artist in history to showcase work in a top-tier global museum.
Inspired by a Jeff Mills DJ set at 15, he taught himself to mix and, by 17, was performing at clubs, opening for Richie Hawtin and Carl Cox.
[3] Agoria releases his debut LP, Influence Hivernale, in 1999 on the Kubik label, then managed by Cyrille Bonin, the future director of the Transbordeur in Lyon.
In 2002, La Onzième Marche gained widespread recognition, receiving support from influential DJs such as Laurent Garnier and Andrew Weatherall.
[6] Dissatisfied with the prevailing trend, he spent two years developing the album, which featured collaborations with Neneh Cherry, Princess Superstar, and Peter Murphy of Bauhaus.
From this albums, three singles have been then accompanied by acclaimed music videos: You're Not Alone, [9] directed by Hernán Corera, Embrace by Jessy Moussalem [10] and Call of the wild by Loïc Andrieu.
In 2021, he releases .dev, his sixth studio album, which showcases his signature blend of techno and deep house, further solidifying his reputation as a pioneer in the genre.
This album's inspiration is about diversity, making complex things sound simpler, and sees the contribution of many different artists like Nile Rodgers and Madison McFerrin, Sacha Rudy, Dominique Fils-Aimé, together with Natalie Sade, Rami Khalife, STS and NOEMIE.
By manipulating algorithms to expose details beyond human visual perception, the analysis revealed forms and patterns strikingly similar to those found in living systems, giving lights to the new colleciton {Compend-AI}.
This creation considers the topic of memory and transmission, the result of a work of curation and retranscription of a biological yeast growing experiment (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).
Agoria has collaborated with the renowned artist Philippe Parreno, celebrated for his groundbreaking installations and conceptual works, on significant exhibitions, including Armory Park (New York City, 2015), Hangar Bicocca (Milan, 2015), and Tate Modern's Turbine Hall (together with Nicolas Becker, London, 2016).
Agoria's immersive sound design seamlessly integrated with Parreno's visionary artistic narratives, enhancing the sensory depth of the installations and creating a cohesive, multi-dimensional experience for audiences.