Laure Prouvost’s Sentient Machines at OGR Turin

Laure Prouvost’s installation “We Felt A Star Dying” at OGR Turin, part of the “Visioni Quantiche, Sogni Elettrici” project, is a monumental, multisensory work that explores the relationship between art and technology. Commissioned by LAS Art Foundation and curated by Samuele Piazza, the piece occupies the Binario 1 space. Prouvost collaborated with philosopher Tobias Rees, engineer Hartmut Neven, musician KUKII, and poet Paul Buck to create an experiential system engaging sight, smell, touch, and hearing. The centerpiece is a giant mechanical octopus controlled by a quantum computer, which senses cosmic rays, heat, and magnetic fields, making it unstable and unpredictable. This “flaw” is central to the work, questioning fragility and interference. A video, viewable only while lying down, is edited by the machine in real-time, adding elements and altering perception. Prouvost aims to give agency to the machine, reflecting on entanglement and the interconnection of all things. The installation runs from October 31, 2025, to May 10, 2026, at OGR Turin.