In collaboration with the Universities of Amsterdam and Princeton, Dutch artist and composer Iebele Abel (b. 1969) has conducted research into the possibility of creating images and music generated entirely through thought. The resulting artworks are inspired by scientific studies on psychokinesis – a phenomenon that, to this day, remains unexplained by science. The researchers with whom Abel collaborated investigate whether intentions can influence the behavior of quantum particles. Abel translated the methods and techniques used in laboratories into his studio practice to explore whether art and sound could make the interaction between mind and matter perceptible.

Using a virtual computer system controlled by quantum-physical measuring instruments, thousands of objects – such as leaves and stones – were “photographed” as they fell against a white background. Interestingly, these objects did not appear to fall completely at random but seemed, during the creative process, to align themselves with patterns envisioned by the artist. The works display a strong graphic sensibility and connect to the conceptual art traditions of the 1970s and 1980s, evoking artists such as Sol LeWitt and Robert Ryman.

Abel’s work shows an affinity with the visual material used by scientists such as Benoît Mandelbrot and Masaru Emoto to visualize complex ideas. Abel explains:

“My work can be seen as a dialogue with contemporary social developments, in which the meaning of spirituality seeks recognition as a response to a dominant secular worldview. There exists a belief that intentions can influence the physical world. I try to objectify this mental force by borrowing the methods and techniques used by researchers who seek evidence for what is sometimes referred to as the quantum field. By presenting these ideas in a clear and conceptual form, my work invites reflection on the idea that the mind can influence physical reality. My personal conclusion is that the individual control of physical processes by the mind is limited. The most important lesson I have drawn from my research is that I prefer to open myself to the world as it reveals itself to me rather than attempting to shape it according to my will.”