Project 03

noumena_transitions >>   new visibility . .

According to Kant, beyond our imagination and realm of thought, there exists the Noumenon (plural: Noumena) - or, to use his formulation, "the thing in itself." According to Kant, the world of Noumena is entirely beyond our insight. Kant made this clear in his doctrine of transcendental idealism. This once again teaches us the realization that there are limits to human knowledge that cannot be surpassed. Nevertheless, everyone, and artists in particular, can benefit from the effect of transition. To stay with the realm of art: Artists seem to transfer, almost from nothing, a beautiful abstract painting into the here and now through their work. Consequently, the question arises: has this newly created composition for the viewer or artist already existed as a Noumenon beyond their sphere of knowledge noumena_transitions >> poses this question for discussion. And as we believe, when we reach the limits of our own knowledge, this is probably a question that cannot be definitively answered with a yes or no. It leaves the uneasy feeling of an insurmountable boundary in the mind. All further exploration risks becoming speculation or belief, without relying on empirical or other rationally comprehensible concepts. When you ask artists, especially contemporary ones, about the creation or even the meaning of a work, you often receive an unfathomable shrug of the shoulders. But that's exactly it - the boundary that cannot be overcome. Often, it's simply impossible to explain where some artistic results come from, let alone what they mean. It often comes down to a selective, subjective perspective of whether it's pleasing or not. If the viewer feels inspired or even more - how wonderful. Nothing can be forced here. noumena_transition >> aims to illuminate this aspect or interpretation of the creative process in modern art and underline it through its own works. The goal is to transport the thing in itself or the Noumenon beyond the horizon of knowledge into what the viewer can perceive. What is created in the process is often unpredictable, as mentioned. This makes it exciting but sometimes challenging for both the artist (the transporter) and the viewer (the observer). In any case, something unique, individual, and undoubtedly unprecedented emerges. However, some similarities are hard to avoid, largely rooted in the artist's personality. The transition - the process of transporting the unknown into the here and now - is not the sole decisive factor. Someone must also know what to do with "the transported" (the artwork). Only then does the circle close from the Noumenon (transcendent and unperceivable) to the a priori - the perceptible. So, is a work of art not created? Here, opinions differ. Kant would tend to lean towards a NO. Of course, with absolute certainty, no one can say - despite all knowledge. Thankfully, the boundaries of knowledge also apply to the realm of art. To conclude, let's quote Socrates: "I know that I know nothing" - a sentiment that is easily relatable for everyone. Therefore, this ultimately becomes a profoundly moving and serious argument for the noumena transition approach.

"There are two worlds: the world as it appears to us (a priori), and the world of things in themselves (the Noumena). The Noumenon is that which precedes thought, that which is closed to thought and perception, that from which perception takes its content without recognizing it. The thing in itself (the Noumenon) is closed to recognition and knowledge. For example, we can only experience time through things that move or change in the world, like a clock's hand. Therefore, time is only indirectly the object of our experience."

Immanuel Kant