Puzzles for a falling sky 

It came to my attention I may be hoarding valuable corona virus-coping materials. After many years of working with jigsaw puzzles in my art practice, I’ve amassed a decent-sized stockpile and want to put them to good use.

 

In response to the collective need I will be posting an online “exhibition” of jigsaw puzzles for auction. All proceeds will go to Direct Relief's via Ebay where they are matching dollar for dollar.

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Lately I’ve been revisiting Hito Steyerl’s "In Free Fall: A Thought Experiment on Vertical Perspective" which takes on an entirely new degree of relevance now, amidst a pandemic. It’s been the inspiration behind thinking through these puzzles and these times. The essay points to invisible structures shaping society and individual minds. Steyerl explores the role of perspective and its intellectual/technological histories’ evolutions as they shape the unique “groundlessness” of today’s paradigm. Steyerl’s “groundlessness” is defined in contemporary moment where “we cannot assume any stable ground on which to base metaphysical claims or foundational political myths,” but further states that, “if there is no stable ground available for our social lives and philosophical aspirations, the consequence must be permanent, or at least intermittent state of free falls for subjects and objects alike.” (13). Essentially, without the faith in “knowing” and “fact,” we’re unknowingly in a constant state of mental free fall. This was published in 2011.

 

If free fall was already defining our age, as according to Steyerl, I am arguing that at this moment is a collective transition into sudden recognition of her defined groundlessness. Conspiracy theories are one thing; they attempt to make sense with such a large scale pandemic, but the fact we cannot access concrete, unanimous information concerning the crisis only emphasizes the gravity of the moment, as it points to an overarching blatant instability that Steyerl outlined before the fact.

 

It seems that collectively, we’re propelled into a further state of free fall that Steyerl posits. In fact, she suggest the state of free fall is largely unnoticed. I would argue, that is until now. It is an unparalleled crisis whose extent and force are so mighty that it’s crimpling the most powerful structure one can imagine, late capitalism. Globalism and nationalism see their limits; each country has their own protocols of quarantine, detection, etc. Even politicians within the same country, state, country, contradict and feud over the evasive reality of it. This pandemic is affecting everyone on Earth, but, as citizens, we’re left unsure of even how terrified we should be. This absolute state of confusion is a collective burden we’re suddenly facing together. Simultaneously we’re feeling the ground slip beneath us and confusion wash over us. Or rather, we’re seeing the ground we thought was there was never there at all. It’s a significant and pivotal change in collective consciousness.

 

The online exhibition and auction, titled “Puzzles for a falling sky” recontextualizes the essay into the present and reflects through its ideas in the present pandemic through the reading and curation of jigsaw puzzles. The works deal with the ontological grappling of Steyerl’s groundlessness of self, society, perception, etc. They question the lens from which life assumes its given stability.