Coming back to this old factory, now converted into office space, I couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic. I had always avoided that 19th-century elevator, but this time, Jean—a philosopher, artist, and entrepreneur whose portfolio had caught my eye just the day before—invited me to take it.

“You’re welcome here anytime,” he said, guiding me through the newly renovated spaces, as CIC Berlin, the new owner, had taken over the building. Memories of the fascinating people I’d met here in the past lingered in the air as we walked. Something told me that this conversation would be different.

Interviewer (I): So, a philosopher turned artist—what brought you here?

Jean (J): Life unfolds in unexpected ways, and we rise to our destiny by shaping what comes our way. We only elect what befalls us; this is how we rise to the heights of destiny, continually sculpting ourselves. Raised in a classical education, with my parents being professors of ancient history, I embraced philosophy, art, literature, and sports, following the ideal of Mens sana in corpore sano. However, the rigid school system lacked inspiration, and I hated it. Music, rebel culture, and disruptive experiences pushed me to question my values and broaden my horizons. Playing in a hardcore metal band, touring around the world, and exploring creative spaces in London, Berlin, NYC, or SF immersed me in an innovative and forward-thinking artistic environment, where individuals driven by the desire to leave their mark on the world came together.

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(I): So, you were a musician first. What influenced you back then?  Do you still feel that inspiration?

(J): Artists are often influenced not only by their environment but also by other artists, which they rarely admit. As Oscar Wilde and Baudelaire pointed out, it is the insufficiency of nature that drives artists to create beyond it, which is why we are often more inspired by our peers, who offer a complex world of the soul. For my part, having grown up with a mix of classical music—Mozart’s Requiem—and rock and metal, I was immersed in a world of complexity and rebellion. Influenced by bands like The Doors, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Slayer, and hardcore bands like Madball or Hatebreed, I turned to the philosophical depth and vibrant symbolism, aligning myself with the aesthetic of bands like Tool, fascinated by the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence—concepts found in philosophical literature, such as Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra and Hesse’s Siddhartha.

After ten years in the music industry, I understood that the universal simplicity of music—a genuine desire to share—contrasts with the inflated egos encountered in other art forms, such as literary and poetic elitism. The real danger for artists is their ego, as it diverts them from their true mission: to dedicate their being to its highest realization. Inspired by visionary hackers, I now embrace a more collaborative and ego-free approach, where creating and sharing contributes to a greater good. This is what I’ve taken from the groups I’ve encountered, first in Berlin, then in Cambridge, MA.

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"The real danger for artists is their ego, as it diverts them from their true mission"

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(I): You mentioned elitism and inflated egos in literature and poetry. What do you think of contemporary art? Do you think it represents progress?

(J): I believe that contemporary art is falsely popular. It has moved away from the finished product — which, despite its technical complexity, also spoke to the senses — to focus on the artistic process, emphasizing the conceptual and philosophical elements underlying the work rather than the aesthetic it conveys. Contemporary art has become more intellectual, following trends from 19th-century symbolism, such as that of Moreau, for example. Works like Kazimir Malevich’s White Square on White or Yves Klein’s famous blue works, as well as extreme forms of contemporary art such as invisible art or the banana taped to the wall, reduce art to concepts — sometimes so minimalistic that they become ridiculous both aesthetically, intellectually, or spiritually. I believe that if art is to reflect the artist’s journey, capturing the depth of the soul and the transformative process of creation, it cannot be reduced to just this. Art must offer a journey, a spiritual experience, and a soul through a style; it embodies the aspiration to superior beauty. In my view, all art must combine aesthetic pleasure with intellectual depth.

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(I): How does GenAI make its way into your work?

(J): AI democratizes art in a certain way. Recently, engineering and new technologies reserved art for scientists and expert groups, sometimes lacking artistic sense. The intelligent tool allows everyone to become a "multi-expert." AI enables anyone to learn and, more importantly, to bring their ideas to life, provided they know how to write them—this also requires technical knowledge. The artist of tomorrow may be primarily a writer, perhaps even a poet, capable of blending the horizontal nature of metaphors with the verticality of concepts, since, for now, it is the written prompt that dominates, with the limits that writing imposes, such as the difficulty of translating color nuances.

I believe that AI-generated sketches can be enhanced through physical creation, with a back-and-forth process between the machine and the artist. This co-creation adds value to the artistic process. The "hallucinations" of the machine, these foreign elements, can be shaped by the artist, adding an unexpected but meaningful layer to the work, while preserving the creative effort, which goes beyond mere ideation. To fully harness AI, one must understand the tool and adopt the right mindset, combining technical mastery with the ability to embody their artistic vision.

Like photography in the past, AI is a tool that requires both technical knowledge and artistic sensibility. While AI can enrich or initiate a work, it is the artist's perspective and vision that give it form. For instance, in my process, I often start with an AI-generated sketch, refine it using tools like Procreate or Photoshop, and then bring it to life physically or in immersive formats like VR. I use a mix of techniques, combining them, always treating AI as an assistant, not a substitute. Tools help elevate my inner world, transforming my visions into reality.

Technology offers new ways to express and explore ideas. For example, in the past, I composed drum parts on Pro Tools for my band without knowing how to play drums, but by understanding the instrument and embodying it digitally. Exploration, through tools and technology, is essential to my art—it’s about pushing boundaries and realizing my inner visions in new ways.

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"The artist of tomorrow may be primarily a writer, perhaps even a poet, capable of blending the horizontal nature of metaphors with the verticality of concepts"

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(I): So you mean your talent has been augmented by the machine?

(J): For me, creating art is about embodying a soul—the "spirit of consciousness"—one that has explored and conquered the depth of self-being. The challenge for artists is to develop a singular style that reflects their true self, even when using technology. If artists succeed in this, I believe they triumph, because the machine invites distance and questioning, enriching their aesthetic vision and deepening their mind with a philosophical dimension. The artist becomes both creator and critic, realizing the Baudelairean dream. To achieve this, one must know their instrument.

In my work, you can see the singularity I strive to maintain. I incorporate spirals to symbolize the vertigo of consciousness, staying highly symbolic and allegorical in my self-exploration. I also use cultural references like Hecate’s three faces and the underground Greek world—Styx, Cerberus, Tartarus—to reflect the complexity of the soul. I feed these symbols into AI, alongside my poetic language, cultivated over years of writing. AI becomes a tool for co-creation, enhancing my vision and allowing me to transcend myself.

I also have a specific process. I often begin with a drawing, letting shapes emerge from chaos, similar to Da Vinci's sfumato. Sometimes, I prompt visuals with poems, refining them in Photoshop or Procreate. The more I create, the clearer my vision becomes. Being exposed to many iterations with AI helps me shape and refine my original vision, transforming the work into a perpetual metamorphosis where new elements emerge, sometimes integrating suggestions from the machine—what I call its "hallucinations." While AI assists, I always have the final word. I am the spirit behind the machine, guiding and directing the intent.

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(I): It seems like art can teach you more than just creativity.

(J): I believe everything in life is a continuous exchange — and art is no different. You incorporate elements into the web of your being or onto the fibers of the canvas. When people share something with you, it becomes a part of you — a deep exchange, almost as if they’ve handed you a piece of their soul, their heart, and it becomes a part of you. That’s also what art does. Ideas don’t just come from books; they come from interactions — with nature, people, and the world at large. If you lock yourself in a house with nothing but books, sure, the interaction with the books can be enriching, but it’s not enough. It lacks life, movement — until your own energy dries up, spinning around itself like a panther in a cage, enslaved by its own powerlessness. You need multiple access points to the world to grow — multiple perspectives. My approach to creation is like an inverted T: you grow horizontally first — expanding your experiences, your inner strength — and then you rise vertically. You first need to expand yourself — nourish, grow, and elevate yourself, like a hot air balloon. Art, for me, is not only the way to find yourself, but to surpass yourself, to truly become the best version of who you are, and to learn along the way — discovering yourself, creating yourself while you create the work. Art offers a way to deepen the world and enrich it with the notes of one's soul, reaching its own highest peaks.

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"You first need to expand yourself"

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(I): You now run a tech incubator in Boston and Berlin. How does your artistic background shape your work with entrepreneurs?

(J): My artistic journey has always run parallel to my entrepreneurial path. These two aspects are inseparable from my life and personality. The tension between my artistic and entrepreneurial nature drives me to create beyond myself, spiritually for myself and practically for others. Art elevates the soul toward beauty, while entrepreneurship creates value for the community. Both involve vision and creation, but with different objectives: art for personal reflection and transcendence, entrepreneurship for tangible, impactful change.

Music taught me that art and business can complement each other harmoniously. My band grew and had to become more inventive, while also being more aware of the commercial aspects of our project: branding, marketing, events, and community management. The community that shared and spread our values was at the core of our project. Ultimately, you don’t exist without your community—bigger visions require a community to support them. This understanding of community as a driving force now guides me in technology and innovation. Through projects like Art and Above, Astrée, Nova, and Æthos, I seek to use creativity and technology to foster collaboration within communities that believe in both their individual and shared messages, elevating collective intelligence to build a more responsible and humanistic future. Entrepreneurs, like artists, must be visionary thinkers, creating beyond their personal interests to serve the greater good and be architects of a better, brighter world.

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(I): Can AI be a tool for that greater good?

(J): AI arrives at a time when there is too much data to manage, and we realize that our capacity to process and interpret it is limited. It thus becomes a necessity if we are to fully leverage the data we have to solve the complex problems of our time, such as climate change, by using tools that can enhance our capacity for analysis and calculation. I appreciate the idea of AI as an assistant—a collaborative tool that allows us to reach new levels of analysis, understanding, and creation. However, we must still choose to use it this way. Once again, this is more a human issue than a technological one. AI theoretically enables us to become more versatile, to become "multi-experts," which is why I often speak of a new renaissance. More artists, more philosophers, more scientists—our minds will be able to fully realize their potential and reach their true heights—not only individually but also collectively.

By cultivating a humanistic spirit and the spirit of the Enlightenment, developing critical judgment, analytical thinking, creativity, and reaching our full potential, enriched by collaboration with our peers—each person overcoming their limits—will contribute to the great work: forming an augmented humanity. AI is just a tool; it is up to humans to take the high responsibility for their existence, for the existence of others, the course of life, and the shape the world can, or rather must, take. AI will not change the world—we will, by using AI and new technologies the right way, guided by a grand vision of who we are and where we are headed, one that we must define and shape strategically with full awareness of our highest and noblest duty and responsibility.

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