L’acte d’habiter
Blending poetic essay and intimate journal, L’acte d’habiter (The Act of Inhabiting) explores what it means today to “inhabit” a legacy. Eight artists take up residence in Art Nouveau spaces across Oradea, Aveiro, Nancy, Mons, and Brussels. By living and creating within these environments, they reactivate an architectural memory that the film treats as a living substance—shaped by utopias and ruptures alike—inviting us to reflect on our present moment.
The artist:
Alexandre Humbert is a French designer and filmmaker, based in Brussels, working at the intersection of cinema and design. His films and installations poetically explore the narrative potential of objects and spaces. His work has been shown internationally and is held in major European design collections.
The context:
The residency programme is developed within the framework of the European project Art Nouveau as a New EUtopia, co-funded by Creative Europe. In a context marked by ecological crisis, social inequalities, and uneven access to culture, the project seeks to revisit the ideals of Art Nouveau—its connection to nature, innovation, and the unity of the arts—through the lens of today’s societal challenges. The programme hosts six residencies aiming to highlight the role of cultural heritage as a space for experimentation, dialogue, and inclusive creation, offering thoughtful and personal reinterpretations of Art Nouveau that resonate with contemporary issues.