2017

The Indecision Aid Machine


In the field of systemic subversion, the artist Neo Valen has developed a tool of a very unique kind: an aid to indecision machine. This original installation was exhibited at the Cité des Sciences in Paris. With humor and a touch of derision, Valen shakes up common expectations of decision support technologies. Rather than directing towards clear and resolute choices, his machine encourages indecision, valuing doubt, uncertainty, and the multiplicity of possibilities.
 
The Indecision Aid Machine is based on a complex algorithm, developed in collaboration with CNRS professors. Its operation is based on the theory of strange attractors, a concept from chaos theory that describes unpredictable dynamic systems, marked by sudden changes and unexpected bifurcations.
 
With this installation, Neo Valen offers a new perspective on the notion of choice and questions our habits of thought that are often focused on resolution and certainty. He suggests that indecision, far from being a weakness, can be a strength, an openness to the world, an invitation to exploration and discovery.
 
Valen‘s installations are not only mathematically inspired; they also lend themselves to artistic improvisation. Shai Sabbag, an adept guitarist, frequently interacts with the Indecision Aid Machine. Similar to the approach taken by the saxophonist Nelly Pouget, Sabbag uses machine outputs as a source of rhythm, creating a unique musical dialogue with the unpredictable dynamics of the machine.
 
This systematically subverted device becomes a guiding partner in Sabbag’s performances, influencing the tempo, rhythm, and progression of the music. The guitarist lets himself be guided by the indeterminacy of the machine, creating an impromptu auditory experience that is both chaotic and harmonious. Through this innovative interaction, Neo Valen‘s Indecision Aid Machine transcends its conceptual boundaries, becoming an active participant in the creation of ephemeral and improvised art.


Shai Sebbag improvise avec une intelligence artificielle
Nelly Pouget et l'artiste Arseneca

Neo Valen