Image: MO.CO, Montpellier
MO.CO. Montpellier Contemporain and the University of Montpellier have published a bilingual catalogue documenting ‘Éprouver l’inconnu / Sense Unknown’, an exhibition that brought together contemporary art, historical objects and scientific collections. Published in July 2026, the 352-page volume is available through the MO.CO. shop for €25 and is distributed by Les Presses du Réel.
The catalogue follows an exhibition presented at MO.CO., 13 rue de la République in Montpellier, from 15 February to 18 May 2025. The show formed part of an Art & Science season in which MO.CO. presented three exhibitions across its two art centres examining relationships between artistic practice and scientific research. The exhibition page identifies Montpellier’s history in medical and scientific education, knowledge-sharing and research as a central context for the programme.
‘Sense Unknown’ brought together more than 100 works by around 30 artists, alongside material from the University of Montpellier’s scientific collections and loans from scientific collections at the University of Toulouse. Its stated focus was an open passage between materials, experiments, disciplines and historical periods, considering how reality—and the ways it is understood—can be tested through artistic and scientific approaches.
The exhibition included artists from different generations and fields, among them Nam June Paik, Tetsumi Kudo, Kiki Smith, Alina Szapocznikow, Anna Zemánková, HR Giger, Emma Kunz, Mary Maggic, Candice Lin, Joey Holder, Morgan Courtois and Roy Köhnke. The presentation also extended from the 16th-century figure Bernard Palissy to artists born in the 1990s. Works by University of Montpellier collections included holdings from medicine, education and science, while the exhibition also drew on botanical, zoological and entomological materials.
Several projects were made specifically for the exhibition. The catalogue highlights a new installation by Roy Köhnke addressing evolution and cross-species relations; sculptures by Morgan Courtois using olfactory liquids and processes associated with pharmaceutical and perfume industries; and an immersive, multi-screen installation by Joey Holder that approached zoology speculatively through artificial intelligence. It also discusses Mary Maggic’s biohacking practice and Candice Lin’s use of kombucha fermentation to question the dominance of Western scientism and place knowledge within histories of power.
Structured through interviews, essays, exhibition labels and photographic documentation, the publication retraces the exhibition room by room with installation views and details of works. It includes contributions from approximately 40 participants, including members of the scientific committee, exhibition curators, students in science and art, and artists. Interviews include Joey Holder, Roy Köhnke and Morgan Courtois discussing works created for the project, while essays are contributed by Caroline Ducourau and Muriel Guedj.
The catalogue’s editorial direction is credited to Pauline Faure, Anya Harrison, Alexis Loisel-Montambaux and Deniz Yoruc, who also curated the Art & Science season. Designed by Espace Ness, the softcover volume contains 143 illustrations and is published in French and English under ISBN 978–2–490123–26–1.
