Denise Ferreira da Silva (b. 1963) is one of our most important contemporary thinkers. Together with filmmaker Arjuna Neuman (b. 1984), she has created several moving image works over the last decade that propose to decentre the human in how we think about the world. Are there alternatives to the dominating western notion of nature as something that can be exploited and extracted from with increasingly destructive consequences?
Spectacular footage of nature mixes with animation and text excerpts with soundtracks that include classic Blues tracks and creole rap music. Together, these elements form a sensual universe where traditional hierarchies are undermined and alternatives to global crises, related to climate change, war and colonialism, begin to take shape. With the four elements of earth, water, fire and air as central the exhibition presents alternative sources of knowledge and ways of thinking inspired by poetry, philosophy, tarot cards, quantum physics and nature itself.
The title is derived from Denise Ferreira da Silva book Unpayable Debt (2022), which uses African American sci-fi author Octavia Butler’s book Kindred to show the racist and colonialist underpinnings of the concepts of “debt” and “value”.
The reference material for the films is presented in the exhibition, inviting deeper engagement with the broader framework of Corpus Infinitum.
The exhibition is organised collaboration with MACBA Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Barcelona.
Image above: Installation view of the exhibition Corpus Infinitum, Apr. 28th to Oct. 15th, 2023. MACBA Collection. Study Centre. MACBA Historical Fonds. © MACBA Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Barcelona © Artwork: Arjuna Neuman, Denise Ferreira da Silva. Photo: Miquel Coll
