MATERIALS:
wood, paintings, sound
size variable

EXHIBITION:
neither fear nor courage saves us
Museum Engen, D

RESOURCES:
a letter

But the substance of man is obscure to himself...

Whenever I engage in conversations and dialog concerning political, artistic or religious positions, I can't help but wonder about the underlying motivations and preferred ends of specific (political, etc) beliefs and agendas.

The great thinkers of this last century have started to point out the
flaws in our so called "free will", a will that we have come to understand more as free from hidden motives, than as liberating.

This tension between personal liberation and unavoidable personal agenda becomes absolutely fascinating if placed at the center of the political and social discourse. I understand this tension as a result of our deep longing for true life (liberation) and the inevitable reality of death, which forces us to cling desperately to a source of meaning.

In the words of Ernest Becker:

Ultimately, all human activity is "religious" or "political" in that any activity that provides a sense of mastery of life over death tends to held on to. Thus, we all must believe in some "vital lie" that will provide confidence to move forward.  We must be vigilant in the tendency for our human psyche to attach to absolutist concepts or worldviews. The unconscious denial of death is the primary motivation for humanity. This irrational motive lies behind science, art, technology, politics, philosophy and culture.

At its best, Art uncovers that "vital lie" by exposing both the lie as well as the sources for true vitality. At its worst it merely becomes another piece in our collection of artificial meanings.

Including these emotional, spiritual and religious motivations (and tensions) in the political discussion is not simply a personal conviction but will very likely become a global necessity. Alister McGrath points out ... that the greatest intolerance and violence of the (20th) century were practiced by those who believed that religion caused intolerance and violence.

Therefore whether or not we have a personal faith (in our structures of meanings, political inclinations or religions) will no longer be the question; but rather towards what eschaton of our human history are these (unavoidable) fundamental beliefs leading us?

It is this disposition of every human being that feeds my artistic practice.