Space at the intersection of astrophysics and neuroscience

Drawing on contributions by researchers in astrophysics and the cognitive sciences, Station 2 focused on our different representations of space, with special emphasis on the concepts of translation, transposition, relationship and movement. The aim, in the light of research into black holes and the functioning of the brain, was to apprehend space in dynamic terms and to challenge an essentially visual approach to the work of art, as opposed to a bodily experience.

Work under study

Richard Venlet, Sans titre, 2001. © Blaise Adilon

Guests

Axel Cleermans
research Director at the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS (Belgium) and Professor of Cognitive Psychology at Université Libre de Bruxelles, where he is director of the research unit on Conscience, Cognition & Computation
Jean-Pierre Luminet
astrophysicist, research director at the CNRS, member of the Laboratoire Univers et Théories (LUTH) of Paris-Meudon Observatory.

Participants

Elisa Brune
writer (novelist and essayist) and science journalist
Denis Cerclet
anthropologist, lecturer at Université Lumière - Lyon 2
Arnauld Pierre
art historian, professor at Université Paris IV - Sorbonne
Pascal Pique
former director of Frac Midi-Pyrénées, he is the founder of Musée de l'Invisible
Jean-Louis Poitevin
doctor in philsophy, writer and art critic

Container / Work under study

Richard Venlet, Sans titre, 2001.

Light bulb (500 W) on which are inscribed the dimensions of the exhibition space.
Edition of 3.

Study day

Thursday, January 20, 2010 at IAC Auditorium

Audio recordings of the study day (French - mp3):

  • download the station 2 summary (pdf)
    An English version of the Space Brain Laboratory station 2 summary, written by Denis Cerclet (research professor at Centre de recherches et d’études anthropologiques de l’Université Lumière-Lyon 2), is now avaible. (translated by John Doherty)

Lecture

Jean-Pierre Luminet: “Science, art et imagination géométrique” [Art, Science and geometrical imagination]
Born in 1951, Jean-Pierre Luminet is an astrophysicist, Research Director at the CNRS, member of the Laboratoire Univers et Théories (LUTH) of Paris-Meudon Observatory. He is a specialist in black holes, cosmology and the topology of space, he was awarded the 2007 “European Science Communicator of the Year” prize. He is also a writer, a poet, a musician and an artist.