The research project and exhibition “Infinity – Emptiness – Liveliness” is dedicated to the ideas of an infinity of unexplored spaces in physics, art and mathematics with a view to their historical imprint, their power in the context of current crises and speculative future projects. The focus is on exploring the cosmos, which has entered a new phase through the Mars rover Perseverance and the James Webb Telescope. While the rover searches for traces of microbial life on Mars, the James Webb Telescope looks like a window to a previously unknown depth experience of space that reveals planets like the planet. The current images of the universe challenge the assumptions of emptiness and inanimity, which is culturally and historically inherent in boundless spaces.
The history of the cosmos becomes questionable at the same time as the history of humanity and what humanity means in the age of the transplanetary. The idea of an emptiness and boundlessness of the cosmos is characterized by cultural and perception history: In particular, the history of science and perception of the polar regions can be seen as a precursor of space travel and allows both scientific and ethical perspectives on a present investigation of the cosmos and its future use. The specific and comparative consideration of the understanding and imaginations of the cosmos in scientific and artistic disciplines is intended to enable a responsible handling of the cosmos as an economic, epistemic and cultural resource that (despite the constant expansion of the universe) must question infinity fantasies about their potentials and dangers. That’s why we ask: Is the imagination of limitlessness an essential engine for scientific and sustainable development? And if so, how can it be critically updated with a view to history?
The research project “Infinity – Emptiness – Liveliness” is funded by the Bodo von Borries Foundation.