Starting from Brion Gysin’s Dreamachine, Station 4 focuses on art experiments conducted on the effects of stroboscopic light and their effects on neuronal perception.

Arnauld Pierre : “Massages neuroniens : battements et flickers dans l’art optique et cinétique” [Neuronal massages: flutters and flickers in op art and kinetic art]

In parallel with the development of the first techniques for the investigation of brain rhythms and while cybernetics gives a neo-mechanistic interpretation of the functioning of the main nervous system, artists followed Nicolas Schöffer to force the gates of perception using visual devices aimed at moulding brain matter immediately, and creating immaterial signals for more direct communication with the viewer.

Slide presentation from Arnauld Pierre's lecture

Pascal Rousseau : “Dreamachine : le vacillement des identités” [Dream Machine: wavering identities]

The artist probes the links between thresholds of perception, hallucinatory techniques and questions of gender, with his starting-point being Brion Gysin's work and especially the latter's interest in the flicker technique.

Slide presentation from Pascal Rousseau’s lecture