Title: Mapping of infant- Estimated skull parts
I exploit scientific facts, theories and the manipulative aesthetics of scientific mediation in my work. The aim is to challenge the viewer’s perception and receptivity to these allegedly objective sources of knowledge.
Contrasts between the used visual language and the actual content of the information presented become visible to those who investigate the work. The audience is invited to analyze the work and make up their mind if they want to accept the information that is presented as ‘authentic’. The purpose is to heighten the awareness of our susceptibility to this kind of information, and how it is accepted as truth. This cognition might lead to instances of critical reflection concerning the way we relate to this information, and how the received information shapes our perception of reality.
My art projects are subjective narratives that differ slightly from the ones told at a science fair or in a museum. Searching for a way to encourage the viewer to engage in the work, and willingly oscillate between a state of playful belief and a state of critical reflection, are underlying goals in much of my art practice.
It is impossible, as an individual, to possess all knowledge. We are playing out our role in what can be seen as a knowledge grid, based on mutual trust, adding up to a whole that is the information society. However, we find ourselves in an increasingly anonymous position in the process of acquiring knowledge. The exchange of information happens mostly on a virtual level, where direct contact is absent. We see dissemination we choose to trust. The search for information can lead to a wide range of sources with variable credibility. The authority of the source of information might in this way become more important than the content itself. Instead of other individuals, the medium is now the disseminator. My work is largely based on information acquired in this way.
Individual reality does not exist outside the human mind; a developing perception will mean a reality in transition. Art can offer alternative ways to perceive how the world works. It is fiction with the potential to evoke alternative realities through new insight into existing knowledge.
Currently I am doing MA studies in fine art at The Bergen National Academy of Art and Design.
Documentation photo: Migle Narbutaite.