Author: Frans Evers
Compilation: Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei
Editorial team: Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei, Joost Rekveld, Eric Parren
Design and production: Isabelle Vigier
Publisher: ArtScience Interfaculty Press
300 pp., 700 g,  2012
ISBN: 9789461908193

A book that aspires to be three books in one, The Academy of the Senses delves into the multifaceted world of synesthesia and its creative potential. At once a scientific study of synesthetic perception, an alternative art history grounded in Castel’s clavecin oculaire and Wagner’s Gesamtkunstwerk, and an account of the groundbreaking Interfaculty Image & Sound, this work introduces the term ‘synesthetics’ to describe the interplay between sensation, creativity, and scholarly inquiry.

Authored by renowned educational reformer Frans Evers, the book captures a legacy shaped by collaboration with electronic music pioneer Dick Raaijmakers. Together, they launched a series of innovative projects blending music and visual arts, culminating in the establishment of the Netherlands' first multimedia department, which Evers directed from 1989 to 2007. The book also explores the synesthetic vision behind large-scale multimedia works like Die Glückliche Hand, Mondrian’s Promenoir, and Scheuer im Haag.

Presented as a ‘source book’ rather than a rigid historical account, The Academy of the Senses serves as a wellspring of inspiration for students and professionals alike. It offers a deep dive into the artistic and theoretical foundations of multimedia arts, charting centuries of creative exploration into the worlds of seeing sound and hearing colour.

The text concludes with a brief chapter on Sonic Acts, exploring the inaugural edition of the festival, which took place in August 1994 and was co-produced by Evers at the Amsterdam venue Paradiso. The programme focused on the ‘live presentation of electronic music created by new musical interfaces.’