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’To know what there is, when you are not’; er en videoinstallation bestående af et abstrakt science-fiction værk, der tager udgangspunkt i den filosofiske retning ‘speculative materialism’.

Udstillingens titel er inspireret af et oplæg, af den franske filosof Quentin Meillassoux. Det blev første gang fremlagt ved en konference i 2007 på Goldsmith College, London. Meillassoux prøver i oplægget at redegøre for en ny filosofisk retning, som han kalder for ‘speculative materialism’. Den gør oprør mod den hidtil styrende filosofiske retning, ‘correlationism’, hvis påstand er at mennesket ikke kan eksistere uden verden, og verden kan ikke eksistere uden mennesket. I Meillassoux opfattelse er dette en uærlig manøvre, der tillader filosofi at omgå problemet med at beskrive verden, som den virkelig er, forud for menneskets eksistens.

Kunstneren ønsker, med sin udstilling på NLHspace, at visualisere kollisionen mellem de to filosofiske retninger ved at mime en portal, hvori sammenstødet udspilles. I science-fiction film og litteratur fungerer en portal normalt som en åbning til en anden tid eller en anden verden. Oftest visuelt fremstillet som en rund ‘gateway’, med en bølgende overflade, man skal bryde for at træde ind i en anden verden.

Kollisionen mellem de to filosofiske retninger, ‘correlationism’ og ‘speculative materialism’, billedliggøres fysisk i udstillingen, ved at gøre brug af et begreb indenfor fysikkens verden, kaldet fin-films interferens. Det er den interferens der opstår når lys rammer en sæbehinde og brydes i overfladen. I dette møde skabes en bølgende effekt, meget lig den førnævnte portal-overflade.

Sonja Strange er uddannet fra det Jyske Kunstakademi, Aarhus (2008) og fra Vsup/Umprum – Academy of Arts, Architecture and Desgin, Prag (2007). Sonja Strange arbejder konceptuelt indenfor science fiction genren med video, fotografi, lyd, tekst og installation. Som billedkunstner interesserer hun sig for at skabe nye fortællinger ud fra allerede eksisterende videnskabelige, filosofiske og historiske påstande.

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(English version)

‘To know what there is , when you are not’, is a video installation consisting of an abstract science-fiction art work that is based on the philosophical direction ‘speculative materialism’. The exhibition title is inspired by a presentation by the French philosopher Quentin Meillassoux. It was first presented at a conference in 2007 at Goldsmith College, London. Meillassoux tries in his presentation to explain a new philosophical direction, which he calls ‘speculative materialism’. It goes against the so far autonomous philosophical direction ‘correlationism’ that claims that humans can not exist without the world, and the world can not exist without humans. In Meillassoux’ view, this is a dishonest maneuver that allows philosophy to sidestep the problem of how to describe the world as it really is prior to all human existence.

The artist wishes, with her exhibition at NLHspace, to visualize the collision between the two philosophical directions, by imitating a portal in which the collision takes place. In science fiction film and literature a portal usually works as an opening to another time or another world. Most often visually portrayed as a circular ‘gateway’, with an undulating surface, you have to break to enter another world.

The collision between the two philosophies, ‘correlationism’ and ‘speculative materialism’, is metaphorically shown in the exhibition, by making use of a concept from the world of physics, called thin-film interference. It is the interference that occurs when light strikes a soap film and breaking the surface. In this meeting, creating a ripple effect, much like the aforementioned surface of a portal.

Sonja Strange graduated from the Jutland Art Academy, Aarhus (2008) and from VSUP / UMPRUM – Academy of Arts, Architecture and Desgin , Prague (2007). Sonja Strange works conceptually within the science fiction genre with video, photography , sound, text and installation. As an artist she is interested in creating new stories based on existing scientific , philosophical and historical claims.