Deeply Superficial is an operational contemporary portrait system translating genomic data into spatial, visual and sonic configurations. The project investigates how images emerge from systems of interpretation and participate in making the human intelligible through installation, moving image, sound and artist’s books.

Title slide displaying Deeply Superficial by Nicolas Delaleu
Text slide introducing the transformation of images from representation to operational systems
Text slide describing portraiture and images emerging from systems of interpretation
Text slide discussing naming, classification, mapping and portraiture as systems of knowledge
Text slide describing contemporary portrait systems and the production of intelligibility
Text slide describing a distributed spatial configuration of the system
Immersive installation showing 172 suspended luminous figurines and wall projections
Projected molecular portraits associated with self-luminous figurines
Immersive installation showing 172 suspended luminous figurines and wall projections
Text slide describing an object-based configuration
172 suspended front-facing light panels (Floating Portraits) displaying molecular portraits
Close-up views showing composite molecular portraits and data structures
Floating light panels showing deconvolved molecular portraits on the reverse side
Text slide describing planar configuration
Scanning beam crossing a planar surface in a room with floor covered with QR codes
Projection displaying molecular portraits on screens related to scanned QR codes
Combined view showing a scanning beam and projected molecular portraits
Text slide describing a temporal configuration
Video stills from the two installation screens
Flame modulated by sound waves inferred from molecular portraits
Screen displaying a genomic deviation map, molecular portraits and sonograms
Text slide describing a book as a stabilized system
Artist’s book shown closed and opened
Open book displaying a map of genomic deviation
Book spread displaying a genomic map section, molecular portraits and sonograms for eight subjects
Text slide explaining the genomic dataset, operational framework and biological topology
Text slide discussing intelligibility, biological configurations and operational rigor
Text slide presenting the artist statement
Text slide presenting the artist biography and scientific background
Text slide describing the relationship between operational systems and image histories
© 2026 I Nicolas Delaleu