03. Jun Exhibition + Performance

Location and Working Hours
Open daily 09:00-18:00 "Monday Closed"
Curators
Alex Rhodes, Cara Mills, Alanna Mercado Joanna Pugh
Exibition design
Design Motion, Eleven Pro
Partners
MIT Media Lab, Sony Neural, Institut du Cerveau
Buy tickets
Tickets & Admission
03. Jun 25. Jul. 2023 6pm

Synaptic Sculptor – Where Brainwaves Become Art

The Palace of Digital Technologies is pushing the boundaries of creative expression with its revolutionary new exhibition, “Neural Canvas”, running from January 15 to February 20, 2025. This immersive experience represents the culmination of five years of cutting-edge research by the interdisciplinary collective NeuroSync, blending neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and fine art in ways never before seen. At its core lies a fundamental question: What if our raw brain activity could become the ultimate artistic medium?

The exhibition’s centerpiece, the Synaptic Sculptor, is nothing short of technological alchemy. Visitors don a next-generation EEG headset that monitors their brainwaves in real-time as they engage with various emotional stimuli – from serene nature visuals to abstract mathematical patterns. This neural data is then processed by a proprietary AI system developed in collaboration with MIT’s Media Lab, which translates the electrical impulses into three-dimensional forms. A robotic arm with astonishing precision sculpts these interpretations using a revolutionary biodegradable resin, creating delicate, coral-like structures that physicalize the participant’s mental state. “It’s not about creating pretty art,” explains Dr. Lena Kovac, NeuroSync’s lead neuroscientist. “We’re making the invisible visible – anxiety manifests as jagged spikes, calmness as flowing tendrils, and creative bursts as intricate fractal patterns.”

More Than an Exhibition - A Journey Into the Self

Beyond the main installation, “Neural Canvas” offers multiple layers of interaction. The Mind Gallery surrounds visitors with holographic projections of past participants’ neural sculptures, creating a mesmerizing forest of thought forms. What makes this particularly fascinating is the chronological display showing how a single individual’s brain patterns evolve throughout different emotional states – a powerful visualization of our mental fluidity.

For those seeking deeper engagement, the Neuro-Origami Workshop allows visitors to physically manipulate their brainwave sculptures. “There’s something profoundly intimate about holding a physical representation of your subconscious,” remarks one attendee, carefully folding the resinous tendrils of their sculpture. “It’s like conversing with a hidden part of yourself.” Meanwhile, the Brainwave Symphony installation transforms neural data into generative music, with algorithms converting gamma waves into high-pitched chimes and delta waves into deep, resonant tones.

The exhibition doesn’t shy away from the philosophical implications of this technology. A dedicated Ethics Lounge presents debates on neuroprivacy, the commercialization of brain data, and whether AI-mediated creations can truly be considered art. “We’re entering uncharted territory,” notes curator Damien Lefèvre. “When a machine interprets your thoughts into physical form, who owns that creation? The human? The algorithm? Or is it something entirely new?”

Visitor Details:

Palace of Digital Technologies, 88 Innovation Blvd, Paris 17th
Jan 15 – Feb 20, 2025
Book at: www.ptd-paris.org/neural
Contact: neural@ptd-paris.org | ☎ +33 1 87 65 43 21

“The most important art exhibition of the decade” – Le Monde
“Will change how you think about thinking” – Wired France