The Writing of Stones

The Writing of Stones is a new performance which explores the ethical, ecological, and political implications of an ascendant theory in contemporary science and philosophy: panpsychism, the idea that all matter is conscious. 

As a multidisciplinary installation, the performance will integrate interviews with contemporary scientists and philosophers into a holistic performance landscape of text, music, and movement inspired by Roger Caillois’ marvellous collection of stones. 

Introducing theatrical form into a trajectory of inquiry stretching from Caillois to cognitive science, we aim to employ performance’s unique capacity to alter attention to provoke audiences to critically reflect on the ways in which reality comes into being.

Image: Eye Agate from Uruguay. From the collection of Roger Caillois. 

Source: Caillios,R. The Writing of Stones, Editions Xavier Barral (2014)