ABOUT THE WORK

When the American author David Foster Wallace talks about the term default settings, he is referring to all of the apparent banalities that we are surrounded by in our daily lives, without us ever really noticing. In the piece titled This is Air, one of these default settings becomes visible, opening up a range of associated epistemological questions. The installation makes it possible for air to be experienced sensorially. The black dyed thread curtain gently sways with the draft in front of a glowing white LED display, 3 metres long and 85 centimetres high. The movement directs our focus toward the air itself as an element that we interact with in manifold ways. Thus, not only does the invisible become visible, but it becomes tangible through the sensorial presence of the swaying threads.

This is Air is more than just a literal description of the piece, it demonstrates foresight. Just like the fish in Wallace’s parable which are unaware that they are surrounded by water, illustrating his definition of default settings, our perception is also shaped by the things we seem to take for granted. We can only succeed in taking off the blinders that accompany these default settings when we begin to encounter the world with an unbiased gaze and unfeigned curiosity.

In light of the role that wonder plays in gaining knowledge of the world, sensorial experience is an aspect that should not be underestimated. The art critic Hanno Rauterberg concurs that perception has little to do with rational recognition: “it’s not about clear thought, but rather vague and hazy feelings.” This is what Nadja Adelmann’s installation addresses. The sensuousness of the thousand individual threads, gently swaying, enables us to sensorially grasp an element that is otherwise quite difficult to apprehend.

There is a second layer of meaning that emerges as a result of the curtain’s black color, or, to be specific: BLACK 3.0. This particular black not only swallows light, but it is synonymous with a discourse on values that made waves in the art world. Stuart Semple developed it as an answer to Anish Kapoor’s Vantablack, which was exclusively licensed to him for artistic use. Semple, outraged by this commercial infringement on the moral principles of artistic expression, put his BLACK 3.0 up for sale to anyone – with the exception of Anish Kapoor.

Aside from that debate, the black as used here also proves to be an extraordinary phenomenon in terms of the reception aesthetics. Due to its light-absorbing properties, it pulls us out of our usual patterns of seeing. Although it is entirely analogue, the movement of the curtain gives the impression of digital flickering. In light of the constantly accelerating digitalisation, one could pose the questions as to what extent we can truly comprehend the digital world and which default settings should be scrutinised anew with a marveling gaze. Since the answers to those questions would presumably be plucked out of thin air.

Anne Simone Krüger