MAXIME PLESCIA-BÜSCHI AND BJØRN STAAL
x COLLECTIVE OSLO
Cathedral of Ego: Light, Code, and Transcendence
Born from COLLECTIVE OSLO’s curatorial initiative, Cathedral of Ego united two distinct creative worlds. Tattoo artist and Sang Bleu founder Maxime Plescia-Büchi joined forces with generative artist and VOID co-founder Bjørn Staal to explore the intersection of symbolism, code, and the sacred. The result was an ephemeral installation of light and sound in the forest of Ekebergparken.
CLIENT
Self-initiated by COLLECTIVE OSLO
in collaboration with VOID
ARTISTS
Maxime Plescia-Büchi – Artist, Founder of Sang Bleu
Bjørn Staal – Generative Artist, Software Developer, Co-founder of VOID Studio
LOCATION
Ekebergparken Sculpture Park, Oslo
CATEGORY
Cultural Activation
DELIVERABLES
Ideation & Curatorial Collaboration
Facilitation & Production
Artist Coordination
Guest Journey & Flow
Post-event Documentation
VIOD
Concept
Engineering
Software Development
Visual Content
Generative Audio
Intersections of Practice
Cathedral of Ego grew from an ongoing artistic dialogue between Maxime Plescia-Büchi and Bjørn Gunnar Staal, two practitioners exploring different forms of structure and transcendence. Using a custom interpretation software, sound, motion, and exchange were translated into evolving geometries. Through this process, conversation became code, and code became form — a shared language between the physical and the digital.
Ephemeral Architecture
Set in the early winter forest of Ekebergparken, the installation materialised as a living structure of light, laser, and smoke. Geometric figures emerged and dissolved across the forest floor, forming a transient cathedral that invited contemplation and presence.
As the audience moved through shifting beams and haze, the work became experiential, a dialogue between technology and spirituality, the tangible and the immaterial, the self and its echo in the digital realm.
At its conceptual core, Cathedral of Ego examined the transformation of belief in contemporary culture, from the religious transcendence of the ego to the modern pursuit of salvation through technology. In this interplay between art, ritual, and innovation, the work asked what it means to seek meaning in an age of machines.
Supporting the Arts
This project is part of COLLECTIVE OSLO’s long-term commitment to supporting the arts through bold, inclusive cultural formats. By initiating and producing projects outside the commercial sphere, we foster collaboration across disciplines, elevate emerging creative voices, and reimagine how art and culture are experienced—especially by younger and more diverse audiences. Each activation reflects our belief that participation builds connection, and that the most vital creativity happens where disciplines, people, and perspectives intersect. Always seeking the most vibrant frequencies in art and culture.
These cultural activations are made possible through support from public institutions and our partners including Oslo Kommune Kulturetaten, KORO, and Innovation Norway.