Cyrille Senèze
7 MAY 2025
An artist from Haute-Loire in Auvergne, currently studying at ESACM in Clermont-Ferrand. Having moved from the nuclear industry to contemporary art, he also works with music
An artist from Haute-Loire in Auvergne, currently studying at ESACM in Clermont-Ferrand. Having moved from the nuclear industry to contemporary art, he also works with music
At 19, I started playing music with my brother. Later, I met a guy who invited me to join a french song band in Clermont-Ferrand. My passion for music ran alongside my technical studies, leading me to balance between professional work and artistic exploration.
How did you get into music?
Describe your education
I studied science in high school and then completed a BTS in industrial product design, specializing in microtechnology. This field focused on creating small, precise components using 3D design software, metalwork, and plastics, developing products from concept to production.
I grew up in a small village in Haute-Loire, France, in a working-class family. My father was a farmer, and my mother worked in a factory. I spent my childhood learning to build and repair stuff with my grandfather and father, which sparked my interest in creating things and later influenced my career and artistic approach.
Tell us about yourself
Diapositives, 2024
At that time I was inspired by a conversation with an artist who made me realize that it’s never too late to start over and pursue art. I applied to ESACM, and I was fortunate enough to be accepted. Now, I’m in my third year, working towards my Diplôme National d’Art, and I’m more passionate than ever about what I’m learning.
How did you come to contemporary art?
In 2019, I decided to quit my job in the nuclear industry, end a relationship, bought a house to renovate. It was a big change for me. This time allowed me to reflect on my career path and rediscover my curiosity about life. I wanted to break out of my social bubble and began meeting people from different backgrounds.
What was your turning point in life?
While working, I played in a band called Hill Valley, performing across France. We didn’t make much money, but we stayed independent. We met with major labels but never signed contracts, keeping full creative control. We balanced music with our jobs until 2016. Now I play in a new band called Fou de joie (emo Midwest '90s style).
Tell us more about your music band
In 2008, I began working in the nuclear industry, creating 3D models for construction projects. For me, it felt like a new creative playground—full of challenges and opportunities to experiment with design. The work demanded a lot of creative problem-solving and I truly enjoyed it. I didn’t have an engineering degree, but my employers saw my passion and kept giving me new opportunities. I quickly rose from an entry-level position to project manager, leading projects worth up to 30 million euros. It was a turning point—I come from a modest background, and I realized I had truly climbed the social ladder.
What did you do before becoming an artist?
Train, 2024
Lately, I’ve been integrating my nuclear industry experience into my art. I built a machine that makes radiation visible and explore ways to use it in performances. I collect radioactive objects to connect personal memory with nuclear history. The challenge is to present this without being too didactic.
Tell us about your most recent work
Recently, I explored landscapes through photography, blending interior and exterior scenes using train windows, with color highlighting details. Another project used backlit orange peels with carved patterns on transparent paper, shown like slides. In an interactive exhibition, viewers picked images, which I projected while sharing stories.
What are the main topics in your art?
I explore a variety of mediums in my work. Photography, drawing, painting, performance, installation, and sculpture are all part of my artistic practice. One of my favorite things is working with found objects rather than purchasing new materials. I enjoy the challenge of giving new life to things that would typically be discarded.
What mediums do you work with?
— I enjoy the challenge of giving new life to things that would typically be discarded.
Inside the cloud chamber, 2024 (Video)
What artists inspire you?
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with Tarkovsky. His films can be slow, even boring, but then a single moment—an image, a sound, a line—sticks with me. Before him, it was Kubrick. Next year, it’ll be someone else.
What are your favorite places in Clermont?
Bars. Not for the place itself, but for what happens there. In France, bars are like crossroads where people meet—before or after events, unexpectedly running into each other. It’s one of the few spaces where different artistic circles mix, along with people from outside the arts.
What do you think about the art community in Clermont?
It’s not one big group but several smaller bubbles—music, visual arts, theater. People attend each other’s events but don’t often collaborate creatively. It feels like separate worlds, but I don’t know if it could or should be different. Still, for a small city, Clermont has an impressive amount of artistic activity.
I see my artistic process as a search, not a statement. While working on this project, I keep questioning the role of nuclear energy. When people see my work in an exhibition, they’re free to form their own opinions —but I resist reducing it to a simple 'for or against'.
Why don’t you want to take a position?
Cloud Chamber, 2024
