here's an idea for a movie...

The actual explanation for this movie is as follows.

These people are actually clinically insane and they are completely oblivious to this. They believe that they are artists and intellects and superior to people who suffer from psychiatric disorders. So the idea is that Jouquin is "acting" like he's insane, rather than in reality revealing that he is insane. In regards to why it is termed an experiment, that is just a word they throw around when they're like lunatics. They have no idea what the word experiment. That's why they backpedaled, etcetera. It was just something to do for these deplorable retarded people who had no plan whatsoever apart from acting like something. They are still completely unaware of this.