APREM (Ateliers, Partages, Rencontres des Ecritures en Mutation) is an experimental programme created in 2012 by Franck Bauchard, Jean-Claude Dargeant and Valérie Cordy to bring together digital, performing and visual artists, as well as scientists, researchers and theorists.

The idea that certain mysterious forces can influence or interact with the physical world is deeply rooted in the history of humanity, which for centuries has sought to understand and master the unseen forces that surround it, using various means to communicate with the unseen, or even the beyond.

In the 18th century, attempts to communicate with the invisible began to take on more 'mechanical' forms. At the time, animal magnetism and theories of mesmerism fascinated many scientists and philosophers, some of whom believed that invisible forces not yet understood could be channeled and observed.

The invention of the telegraph, which made it possible to transmit information across wires at a distance with an almost magical quality, was soon seen not only as a major technological advance but also as a potential intermediary between the living and invisible forces or even the dead.Thomas Edison, the inventor of the phonograph, set about designing a device that would enable communication with the dead by recording their voices. This device was later named the 'necrophone' by the French philosopher Philippe Baudoin.

The telephone, radio and the first tape recorders were in turn used by researchers and paranormal enthusiasts to record what would become known in the 20th century as Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) - sounds interpreted as voices from another world.

Attempts to communicate with spirits, mechanised or otherwise, continue to this day.

With generative AI, we are entering a new era. These technologies seem capable of conversations so natural that we sometimes forget that the person we are talking to is not human. But who are we really talking to when we talk to an AI like ChatGPT? Can we say that AI simulates consciousness, or does it touch on something deeper, a new way of interacting with the unknown? The idea of 'resurrecting' individuals through digital replicas (deadbots) pushes the thinking even further, blurring the lines once again.

We are entering a new era with generative AI. These technologies seem capable of conversations so natural that we sometimes forget that the person we are talking to is not human. But who are we really talking to when we talk to an AI like ChatGPT? Can we say that AI simulates consciousness, or does it touch on something deeper, a new way of interacting with the unknown? The idea of 'resurrecting' individuals through digital replicas (deadbots) pushes thinking even further, blurring the boundaries between the world of the living and that of the dead.

How do our machines affect our perception, and what escapes our senses?

At APREM#11, we invite you to explore these unsettling intersections between artificial intelligence and the occult. Through a journey through history and art, we will question the role of technology in our quest to understand the invisible.

We will welcome, in no particular order, artists, researchers, art teachers, an illusionist specialising in bizarre magic and an exhibition curator.