Rendering Unconscious welcomes Dr. Nicolas Ballet to the podcast! He’s here to speak about his new book Shock Factory: The Visual Culture of Industrial Music (2025) with Carl Abrahamsson. This is the first crossover episode between Rendering Unconscious and An Art Apart. Enjoy!
Rendering Unconscious episode 400.
This episode is a crossover between Rendering Unconscious and An Art Apart, marking the 400th episode of Rendering Unconscious! The discussion centers on Nicolas’ book Shock Factory, which explores the visual history of industrial music. Nicolas, a PhD in art history, delves into the intersections of industrial music with art, philosophy, and cultural movements. The book spans over 550 pages and has received positive feedback from readers and artists. The conversation also touches upon the influence of industrial culture, its relevance today, and the impact of artists like Throbbing Gristle and Coil. The episode concludes with Nicolas discussing his current projects and future plans.
Nicolas Ballet, PhD is an art historian and associate curator in the New Media Department of the Musée national d’art moderne – Centre Pompidou, Paris, France. He specialises in research into alternative visual cultures, experimental art, sound studies and the avant-garde. He received his PhD from the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, where he teaches contemporary art history. He has written several texts exploring the visual and sonic contributions of counter-cultures and experimental artistic practices. He is the author of Shock Factory: The Visual Culture of Industrial Music (Les Presses du réel, 2023; Intellect Books, 2025).
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