April 27 – July 16, 2017
Wednesday, 26. April 2017, 6–9 p.m.
Thursday through Monday, 1–7 p.m
“The peculiar property of the pure spirit is seeing, not knowing.”, wrote the poet and physician Justinus Kerner. This statement is called into question by the Berlin-based artist Ivana Franke with her project Retreat into Darkness. Towards a Phenomenology of the Unknown. Do we only see what we know? What can dislocate us from our comfortable, predefined point of view and challenge our gaze on the world?
The project Retreat into Darkness. Towards a Phenomenology of the Unknown includes an installation by artist Ivana Franke, curated by Elena Agudio, at the Schering Stiftung, along with a series of experiments to be conducted by the artist in collaboration with the vision scientist Bilge Sayim, as well as an interdisciplinary symposium and a publication. The above-mentioned are all integral parts of Ivana Franke’s artistic practice, which represents the full-fledged investigation of the limits of our perception, which is conditioned by our minds and bodies and by the environment.
With her new installation Ivana Franke takes us into a visual and bodily experience able to break our preconceived idea of reality, lending it other dimensions that are decidedly fictive, imaginary, and cosmic. Reflected light appears as if floating on air and emerging constellations of “objects”. Initially, these stand still, as if frozen. When the visitor begins to walk around, these objects move in unexpected directions. These curious constellations seem to extend deep into the space, only to come back towards us in a counter-intuitive motion. Like standing before twinkling fireflies, the viewer is invited to glimpse the “unknown” moving objects revealed in the dark. Perceived light translates into experiences that challenge our perception and imagination, suggesting spatial architectures that cannot be identified through the ones we already know. Creating “epistemological ruptures”, those experiences give us the capacity to imagine and challenge existing common modes of knowledge and to create room for different possible futures.
June 27, 2017, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
In cooperation with SAVVY Contemporary Berlin
With: Elena Agudio, Jimena Canales, Ivana Franke, Bilge Sayim, et al.
Schering Stiftung/silent green Kulturquartier - Kuppelhalle
Registration at anmeldung@scheringstiftung.de.
Exhibition Opening "Retreat into Darkness. Towards a Phenomenology of the Unknown" on April 26, 2017
Visit the media libraryDie Schering Stiftung ist Partner der Langen Nacht der Wissenschaften 2017.
Unter den Linden 32-34
10117 Berlin
Telefon: +49.30.20 62 29 62
Email: info@scheringstiftung.de
Thursday to Monday: 1 pm - 7 pm
Saturday to Sunday: 11 am - 7 pm
free entrance