The Laboratoire des Intuitions (The Intuitive Laboratory) is funded by the French Ministry of Culture. A multidimensional platform, it brings together artists and theorists who work in many fields of experimentation and knowledge with an aim to building dynamic links between forms of thought, through art, philosophy, semiology, mathematics, physics, etc.

The Laboratoire des Intuitions (LDI) has two objectives: to analyse drawing practices and representation in all fields of knowledge; and to work with artists to develop new dynamic practices for rolling out projects. These new practices require writing intentions specific to developing forms.  Examples could include transcription or writing a performance’s space-time continuum or the diagram as an image in the thought process as opposed to the diagram as a demonstration during a conference. The programme questions the notion of intuition in different fields of knowledge including the physical and mathematical sciences. The goal is to evoke the diagrammatic constructs shared between artistic, philosophical, scientific practices, and to expose singular forms and spaces from this observation of theory/practice nodes which are constantly deconstructed and reinvented through art.

The links from art to theoretical physics through philosophy, the social sciences and mathematics are partly drawn by hand. The LDI addresses the graphic practices that accompany, provoke, highlight and model thought. After all, the layout, diagram or sketch scribbled on a tablecloth are all a common language where thought is organised spatially and becomes visible with a stroke, a summarising gesture which instantly captures the attention whether one is giving visual shape to a theoretical system or thinking about the layout for an exhibition.

This concerns both art and science. When an artist questions how a shape may relate to our scientific knowledge of space and then asks the physicist about this apparent contrast, both end up drawing together. Several LDI experiments in recent years have reached this conclusion. Rising to or coming down from an intuitive level should not lead one to research theories of knowledge, the science of the mind or cognitive psychology. Rather, it is a matter of identifying a common practical plan where any thought, regardless, is visually presented as a form in motion and through being viewed drives a new thought process.

LDI is now undertaking systematic research into graphic thought practices as it has been identified that they are real laboratories for intuition. That is where the hypothesis or pertinent evidence, the unproven or demonstrable knowledge is tested and expanded to find its visual and self-reflective language and dialogue. It is also the first step in questioning the results of a theory. Will truth prevail over its own image, its translation into a graphic gesture? Where does this lead reflection?