“I drink a lot of coffee,” says Dr Benedict Carpenter van Barthold, Vieunite’s Cultural Director. “And in the morning, I’m looking for two things: rich, satisfying flavour and a functional caffeine kick. I don’t see why art should be any different. Pleasure and utility in one package. That is my mantra.”
This philosophy is the driving force behind Nootropic Visuals, a pioneering set of Vieunite Pro playlists that shift workplace art from passive decoration to an active cognitive tool. We sat down with Benedict to learn how this collection supports mental function throughout the working day, and why art is just as vital as his morning espresso.
The Science of Visual Nootropics
The term ‘nootropic’ might sound like science fiction, but you likely use them every day. Coined in the 1970s by Romanian chemist Dr Corneliu Giurgea, nootropics are substances, like caffeine, that enhance learning and protect the brain. As Giurgea famously put it: “Man is not going to wait passively for millions of years before evolution offers him a better brain.”
While we don’t ingest art, it is widely understood that visual stimuli can ‘prime’ the brain. Benedict has cheekily christened these playlists Visual Nootropics, using carefully calibrated imagery to enhance focus and mental clarity.
“The first guinea pig was me,” Benedict explains. “Moving from the creative melée of a studio to an office-bound curatorial role, I found my productivity dipped. I’m a bit obsessive, so I’d get ‘frayed and frazzled’ staring too long at collections, and get lost in the weeds. I needed images that weren’t just ‘digital aesthetics’: I needed the texture of real, painted art and analogue photography to help me structure my attention. Something that can take me out of myself, to bring me back, sharper.”
Working with the Clock
The programme is designed to harmonise with our circadian rhythms, the internal 24-hour clock regulating our energy. By breaking the day into five functional stages, the Nootropic Visuals help fine-tune focus:
- Morning: Highrise and Shine: Using the clean, high-contrast geometry of modern architecture, this set acts as a cognitive primer. These sharp lines trigger the brain’s dorsal stream—the pathway linked to spatial awareness and action—to cut through morning brain fog.
- Mid-Day: Net Growth: This interval relies on biophilic design (incorporating nature into built spaces). The complex textures of foliage and moss provide ‘soft fascination,’ allowing the mind to rest and recalibrate for the afternoon stretch.
- Early Afternoon: The Common Room: For shared spaces, these candid observations of human travel and movement act as a visual prompt for lateral thinking and social exchange, countering the post-lunch slump.
- Late Afternoon: Liquid Assets: Benedict relies on ‘blue space’, visible aquatic environments known to lower the heart rate. He calls this his ‘blue-ry’ pause, a visual filtration system that clears accumulated stress through the rhythmic, calming movement of water.
- Night: Midnight Oil: For the late-shifters, this sequence reduces the visual field to muted, nocturnal tones. By narrowing the sensory input, it facilitates a sustained ‘flow state,’ shielding the mind from distraction.
Beyond the Screen
Crucially, these works aren’t standard digital images. Displayed on the Textura canvas, they retain the depth and soul of traditional media. “I’m lucky,” Benedict admits. “My office is in the Oxfordshire countryside. I can walk in the greenery. But many office workers are trapped in grey boxes. These playlists ensure that everyone, regardless of their location, can access those essential moments of mental refreshment.”
The Nootropic Visuals are live now on Vieunite Pro. Whether you’re looking for the artistic flavour or the cognitive fix, it’s time to let your art work as hard as you do.
Vieunite’s mission is to provide a new online art community that combines an alternative platform for artists to sell their work digitally with an innovate digital canvas that has texture accurate display technology. We want to bring art into everyone’s lives in a unique way to give people the chance to creatively express themselves.