“I know nothing about the gods, neither that there are such, nor that there are none.”

is a philosophical journey accompanied by much symbolism and the presence of what feels like an eternity. “ Everything here is pregnant with meaning. The individual works use both our “natural” association and, again and again, some kind of constructed or artificially evoked association. Meanwhile, they move back and forth between humility and human arrogance. Between deep respect or already disconcerting sobriety. Between immanence and transcendence. On our way, we also meet, again and again, a form of rapt, split, or isolated naturalness. And already the title tells us, here it is about the big and the whole. And about us. We will take a look at our surroundings, our origin, our nature, our impact, and our future. Will we find out what essentially defines us? Where is the journey going? And whether it has an end?

The series begins with Eternal Sun, a photograph that looks more like a painting and has little in common with our dream of a perfect day at the beach. Instead, we long, instantly, for more reality. The perfect blue sky, the sun high in the sky and the sea, all there! Despite all this, we do not feel comfortable, too relentless, too unnatural, too two-dimensional, and timeless the image comes along. Beyond that, something concrete is missing, something or someone that gives us support or offers us a way out of eternity. Eternal Sun, is on the verge of being printed on a postcard, and yet not an easy entertainment.

The question of meaning is ever-present, following us at every turn. What does this ancient tree mean to us? About its size, texture, and age, we can only guess from its vast roots. Ficus I and Ficus II show us sections of one of the oldest fig trees in Europe, located in a tiny park in the center of Palermo. Countless people have immortalized themselves, thereby carving their initials into it. They confess their love or inform us that it is over forever. Others just want to affirm their presence at that time. An ancient tradition with which we extend the scope of our existence, both spatially and temporally. This specimen of the genus Ficus Macrophylla is about 130 years old at the time of the photograph. As a representative of the evergreen plants, this tree could, however, theoretically, live forever. But what does that mean for us? Is it of any importance at all? By the way, the evergreen fir (actually, it is a spruce tree) is no longer alive. It was apparently cut down in the meantime. Maybe we should care about that, but for this work, it is not of too much importance. Here it remains The evergreen fir, forever.

So time does matter. But is time equal to meaning, equal to value, and appreciation? And if not, should it be so?

Images like Creatio ex materia, the trilogy Shape & consistency of water,  Blood, Semen, and Vulva remind us how everything began, where we “come from,” and what we consist of. But how should we evaluate the things that are presented to us here? And how far does all this influence who we are today? Have we possibly overlooked something crucial?

The complete absence of a natural reference point does not make it easy for us to find answers at this point. On the other hand, this circumstance and the partly minimalist, partly sublime, partly graphic aesthetics of the images create the space for thoughts of this quality in the first place. Both the reduction and the “alienation” emphasize the symbolism, as well as both seem to indicate a more far-reaching, elementary meaning, of the depicted or to question it, that changes, respectively, or in other words, it lies in the eye of the beholder.

“I know nothing about the gods, neither that there are such, nor that there are none“ creates an atmosphere that condenses more and more and grants us the possibility to travel back to the point where everything began in order to look from there again far into the future. Constantly we are asked to leave our own horizon behind us, to look for what is essential for us personally, only to question it again immediately. The hand is held out over and over again to us, only to leave us, momentarily and repeatedly with all our questions, alone in the vastness of the universe. Who are we, and what do we want to be next, optimized cyborgs like Adam & Eve and Shirin K, or all-seeing god-men, made of flesh and blood, as in Theios aner? Is it even worthwhile to achieve superiority and eliminate all one’s dependencies and supposed inadequacies? Or should we trust nature a little more, although there is a lot we still do not know about it? Is it even worth thinking about All this, or should we just continue to rule and consume? Does it even matter how our answers turn out, or is this a waste of time? Maybe we could ask the old woman in the picture 1920* ♀, who is looking at us with all her experience. Does she have the answers after 100 years and all the events she witnessed ?

“I don’t know anything about the gods, neither that there are such, nor that there are none. “ Who loves to ask questions is definitely right here. Who is looking for answers has not necessarily lost his way, but it is still questionable whether she or he will find what they are looking for in this place. One thing is certain, we as consumers are challenged. Who gets involved expects an intense, personal journey, at the end of which, perhaps no knowledge awaits, but very well a massive charge of perception and awareness. Open-end!

Further photographs and the expansion through sculptural works, video, and audio installations, are planned.