Berdaguer et Péjus: Insula at IAC Villeurbanne

The duo Berdaguer et Péjus present 'Insula' at the Institut d'art contemporain in Villeurbanne from March 16 to May 13, 2012. The exhibition explores brain function and materialization of mental images. 'Insula' refers to the brain region managing emotions, offering a walk through a closed mental landscape. The artists minimally altered the IAC's floor plan, creating echoes between pieces along an axis flanked by 'Kilda 2' and 'Kilda'—named after a Scottish island whose inhabitants live in autarky. 'Kilda 2' features arches covered in hypnotic white flocking, while 'Kilda' hangs upside down, made of metal chains inspired by bird perches. Other works include 'Paroles martiennes'—19th-century glossolalia transcriptions read aloud and rendered as 3D floating sculptures. A 'consultation room' displays a two-way mirror with a backlit photo of Freud's Vienna office. 'Soleil noir' consists of portholes into a deadly gas-filled chamber, and 'Arbres blancs' use psychological test drawings. 'Psychoarchitectures' are whimsical white houses that have yellowed over time. 'Utopia Bianca' shelves hold furniture models after Enzo Mari, covered in plastic sheets. The 'Forêt épileptique' features strobe-lit voices, while 'Jardin psychologique' has black sand and floating Rorschach tests. The film 'Mies' places translucent partitions in the Maison de verre, referencing Mies van der Rohe's conflict with his client. Outside, 'Traumathèque' is a library of recorded traumas under hypnosis—faux.