Esfera de juicio

“Sphere of Judgment” explores the relationship between social criticism and the impact it has on us. In the center of the work is a representation of a star surrounded by a Dyson sphere, which reacts to the movement of the mouse. As you approach the center, the voices of social criticism become louder and the sphere begins to dim, as if its light is going out. The work symbolizes how external pressures, such as the judgment of others, can absorb us little by little, until we lose our clarity and find ourselves plunged into darkness.

Technical, aesthetic and conceptual development

The Dyson sphere is a hypothetical megastructure proposed by the physicist and mathematician Freeman Dyson in 1960, which could completely envelop a star and capture all its energy. This sphere has been taken as a symbol of absolute control over the energy resources of the universe. In this work, Dyson’s sphere becomes a metaphor for the social criticisms that constantly surround us, and that, with an absorbing structure, take away our personal light.

In the context of the work, the star represents the invidivio, that is, each human being with their potential, creativity and inner energy. The Dyson sphere, for its part, symbolizes the criticisms and negative judgments that, like a layer that does not let light through, prevent us from shining with total freedom. The voices heard in the work are these comments that at some point in our lives have affected us and lowered our self-esteem. These comments become a constant noise that obscures our inner light. As we move the mouse closer to the center of the star, the voices intensify, like an infinite echo that will never disappear.

Inke Arns points out:

“This «coded performativity» has political and immediate consequences in the real and virtual spaces (among others, on the Internet), in which we increasingly move and live: this means, ultimately, that this coded performativity mobilizes or immobilizes its users.”

The work is not only observed, but actively experienced, requiring the viewer’s participation. By interacting with it, the viewer becomes part of this coded performativity, which could mobilize or immobilize their own emotions and thoughts in the face of the social expectations presented through the metaphor of the Dyson sphere. In this way, the work becomes a performative experience, where the observer must interact with the work in order to have their own experience.

Finally, César Aira says in his text “On Contemporary Art”:

“Let us leave aside for the moment the usual criticism of the Enemy of Contemporary Art, which would say that these frauds who today are posing as artists depend on a justifying discourse to assert the nonsense they manufacture”

This criticism highlights how contemporary art depends on explanatory frameworks to make a valid work. But these frameworks should not be considered just justifications, but rather fundamental elements that give context to the work.

In this sense, if Dyson’s sphere metaphor is not presented in its context, it is likely that the connection between social criticism and the structure that symbolizes that sphere will not be captured. The descriptive framework is not only a justification, but is a conceptual accompaniment so that the work does not lose its strength.

Literature

ARNS, Inke. (2005). “El código como acto de habla performativo”. En Revista Artnodes, Julio de 2005, ISSN 1695-5951

AIRA, César. ([2013], 2016). “Sobre el arte contemporáneo” en Sobre el arte contemporáneo. Buenos Aires: Literatura Random House, pp. 11-56. (DAA: 1:02m)