Sylvine, better known as The Artiiist, of Central African origin, was born in France and has now been living in Canada for 12 years. From an early age, art has always played a central role in her life: singing, dancing and then painting. This passion has gradually turned into a real career: she is the founder of Smard Art.

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It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that Sylvine launched her artistic enterprise: Smard Art. Her talent and vision quickly attracted attention, propelling her work onto the international scene. This dazzling success has enabled her to make a living from her art and develop her business internationally, although she still harbors even greater ambitions.

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Through her work, she celebrates the identity, culture and beauty of black people, themes that are close to her heart. Combining traditional and digital art, she draws her inspiration from realism, which she considers a form of expression of great intensity, while exploring mixed media techniques and abstraction.

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Despite this recognition, she remains driven by the desire to push her own boundaries and reach an even wider audience.

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Marieme is a host, actress, and singer-songwriter who is never short on ideas. She first made an impression as a VJ on Musique Plus and as the host of 3 filles célibataires on VRAK. Since then, her energy and boundless creativity have propelled her into numerous hosting roles, including Tout inclus (ICI Télé), Le cœur sur le flow (La Fabrique Culturelle), De par chez nous (Unis TV), and Ma première place des arts (MATV). On radio, her voice has resonated on Dutrizac 6@9 (QUB Radio) and La route des 20 (ICI Première).

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A committed artist and advocate for diversity and inclusion, Marieme founded Les nouveaux modèles in 2018, an inspiring initiative connecting cultural community figures with elementary and high school students. As a producer at St-Laurent TV, she has contributed to series such as Bon matin Chuck and Les mal-aimants.

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With her album Mario, Marieme makes a powerful return with an introspective and unapologetic project blending pop, hip-hop, and R&B, where she embraces her identity and champions a collective awakening for a more inclusive Quebec. Whether in front of the camera or behind the scenes, Marieme embodies energy, passion, and commitment.

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Manuel Sainsily is a TEDx speaker and XR instructor at McGill University and the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Born in Guadeloupe and now a Canadian citizen based in Montreal, where he earned his Master’s degree in Engineering Science, he is a trilingual speaker, designer, and educator with over fifteen years of experience advocating for the responsible use and understanding of artificial intelligence.<br><br>From publishing an AI ethics course with MasterClass to speaking at global conferences on technology, film, and video games, Manuel has been recognized by NVIDIA, Mozilla Rise25, and SkillShare for his contributions to the field. He has also collaborated with Meta, OpenAI, and VIFFest to produce art exhibitions, amplifying discussions on cultural preservation and emerging technologies such as Spatial Computing, AI, real-time 3D, Haptics, and Brain-Computer Interfaces through powerful talks and meticulously curated events.