The Surreal Technics of André Breton and Gilbert Simondon

Abstract This article brings together two apparently unnatural bedfellows: Gilbert Simondon, France’s major (re)thinker of technology and ontology, André Breton. The thinkers have never been brought together, yet in his ‘Note complémentaire sur les conséquences de la notion d’individuation’ — a coda to doctoral thesis ‘L’Individuation à lumière des notions forme et d’information’ (1958) Simondon turns explicitly surrealism think technology. A first section explores how the interaction technics, aesthetics, affects contributes emergence transformation communities Breton’s Les Vases communicants (1932) Simondon’s ‘L’Individuation’. then moves tease out deployment surrealist object ‘Note’ relates evolving theorizations object, from statements mid-1930s with which would familiar, its ultimate conceptualization lesser-known L’Art magique (1957). Bringing visions technico-aesthetic mediates our relation universe, this will endeavour pinpoint ‘surreal technics’ suggest relevance today, amid increasing imbrication technological objects into human life society.