In my practice I spend a lot of time thinking about the past rather than the future, researching origins and myths. History changes with the telling and the future is full of probabilities. In Carlo Rovelli’s Seven Brief Lessons on Physics the sixth lesson asks the question ‘what is the present?’ Physicists and philosophers have come to the conclusion that the present is an illusion and time does not flow, but this is not how we experience the world. Compare ‘now’ with ‘here’. ‘Here’ is subjective to where it is spoken. ‘Now’ is subjective to the instant it is spoken. Both terms are indexical. We wouldn’t claim only things that are ‘here’ exist so why do we say only things that are ‘now’ exist? The problem isn’t solved but it is believed to have something to do with thermodynamics (heat does flow) and our limited capacity to comprehend the universe. A supersensible being would experience the universe as a single block of past, present and future.

1602 London Lumiere 1

The London Lumiere event changed the city temporarily, bouncing some photons around which brought people out onto the streets for a bit of wonderment.

1602 London Lumiere 6

It was the coldest night to be out but there were some magical moments to be had.

1602 London Lumiere 2

Litre of Light – use simple technology with recycled plastic bottles and water to provide sustainable solar lighting for communities across the world. Fantastic idea and I liked that these bottle ends look like a myriad of suns.

1602 London Lumiere 4

Spectra-3 is an interactive light and sound installation by Field who create hi-tech experiences with a human touch. Supposedly tracking the audience it looked like it had latched onto to something more interesting in the cosmos. Liking this other work of theirs –  New Nature

Moon Kyungwon and Jeon Joonho’s video installation  The Ways of Folding Space and Flying is an archaeological quest into human civilization.

1601 Venice Korea Moon Kyungwon Jeon Jooho 4 (2)

In this multiscreen installation we are dwarfed by giant projections. Voyeurs peering through portholes at this lone explorer on her voyage, sleeping, taking exercise, discovering new experiences.

1601 Venice Korea Moon Kyungwon Jeon Jooho 4 (1)

Both futuristic and retrospective the artists are inspired by Taoist practice, supernatural powers and the desire to fly. Their protagonist appears in a state of wonder exploring the unknown.

1601 Venice Korea Moon Kyungwon Jeon Jooho 4 (4)

Giving ground to the meditative and emancipatory effects of  complex human desires it allows us to dream and wonder what an other future might hold.

Lee Lee Nam shows technical wizardry in a series of digital works. Moving gently through the seasons this traditional landscape is in a constant captivating cycle of rebirth.

The characters on a traditional scroll dissolve, falling away pixel by pixel

1601 Venice Lee Lee Nam (3)In the centre of the room a captive dove beats its wings as it is plunged beneath the water.

1601 Venice Lee Lee Nam (8)

I thought Lu Yang’s video work Moving Gods. was really interesting, the imagery playing with desire and attraction, worked on me.

1601 Venice China Lu Yang (1)

An ethnically diverse male group play out some ritual that references video games, mythology and religious iconography.

1601 Venice China Lu Yang (3)

A mash up of superheroes, fashion iconostas and saints that plays on the attraction of power and the use of symbol to establish status.

1601 Venice China Lu Yang (2)

She is out to deconstruct and uses new technologies to question our emotional and bodily relationships to a digital world.

Introduced to Hito Steryl via her e-flux essays on digital culture I was keen to see her new work at the Venice Biennale. Entering the space of her video installation Factory of the Sun was like entering digital space in Tron fashion.

1601 Venice Germany  Hito Steryl (1)

The room, pulsating with dance beats, was transformed into a 3D graphic grid with deckchairs and loungers to lie back in and be transported to the future. 1601 Venice Germany  Hito Steryl (2)

Fast moving and mesmerizing dancers morph and rotate in a game like scenario where a new digital light transfers reality into digital culture. There is an underlying menace in this frenetic world as borders collapse and the gun may or may not be real.

It makes me think of the curse of the red shoes.