Organoid. This strange term might make you think of "a new structure resembling an organ" - or you might have already heard it being used to refer to an interdisciplinary project between artists and Institut Pasteur scientists.

"Organoid", launched in 2014 by the artist Fabrice Hyber and the Institut Pasteur – represented by Olivier Schwartz acting as scientific coordinator – and with the support of the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation, was set up to offer a new perspective on scientific activities through the creation of original, compelling artworks that portray the challenges of biomedical research. As soon as the project was launched, it caught the eye of a number of artists, including Barthélémy Toguo.

This French-Cameroonian artist took the opportunity to meet several of the Institut Pasteur's scientists and chose to focus in particular on the research being carried out to tackle two scourges with a major impact on the African continent: AIDS and Ebola. Barthélémy Toguo was nominated for the prestigious Marcel Duchamp Prize for his installation featuring 18 huge porcelain vases decorated with representations linked with these two viruses, as well as a large lab bench containing 3D impressions of cells.

His work is currently on display at the Centre Pompidou, alongside that of the three other finalists of this 2016 edition: Kader Attia, Yto Barrada and Ulla von Brandenburg.

The Institut Pasteur has organized a special guided tour with Alicia Knock, curator of the exhibition, on January 14 at 11am, at the Centre Pompidou.

To sign up (spaces are limited)

Each Institut Pasteur member can bring along one additional person if they wish (they must be signed up in advance).