Asklipion celebrates the wisdom hidden within nature. Through one hundred glass domes illuminating traditional medicinal plants, artist Émilien Guesnard creates an artwork unifying a temple and a traditional apothecaryl. The title of the artwork is derived from the ancient Asklepions, healing sanctuaries gathering plant based remedies and dedicated to the Greek god of Medicine.
When the pharmaceutical chemist Tu Youyou searched for a cure for malaria, she turned to Chinese medical texts from the Zhou, Han, and Qing dynasties. Her research ultimately led to the extraction of artemisinin from sweet wormwood, a discovery that has saved millions of lives. For this achievement, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015. Sweet wormwood, a former traditional remedy, is represented in one of the glass domes in the artwork.
By bringing together knowledge, art, and ancient traditions, the work reminds us of the wisdom hidden within nature and invites us to rediscover plants not only as remedies, but also as living cultural heritage.
Nobel Prize Facts
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015 was awarded to Tu Youyou “for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria”.
She shared the prize with William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura “for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites”.
NOBEL WEEK LIGHTS
5–13 December 2026 | 16:00–22:00
Stockholm City and Tensta
Émilien Guesnard
Visual artist and lighting designer Émilien Guesnard creates light and sound installations for public spaces that question the world and its changes. He blends light in all its forms with haunting sounds that project our imaginations into other worlds.
In addition to making it his profession, light has been a veritable means of expression for him since childhood. Between exhibitions, concerts and his wanderings around festivals, Guesnard experiments with this intangible material as the main actor in his creations.
Artistic direction: Émilien Guesnard
Illustrator & herbalist: Claire Lebeau
Sound design: Cédric Béron
Biologist: Emeline Mourocq
Production & distribution: Scenitz Productions – Caroline Bernard
Coproduction: Fête des Lumières and Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc light festival
Supported by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region
NOBEL WEEK LIGHTS
A light art festival inspired by the Nobel Prize
5–13 December 2026 | Free admission