DENYS BLACKER

WORK DESCRIPTION

The periodic table

In this series of works, Denys Blacker analyzes the limits of phenomenal reality, where there is a quest to redefine our own experiences of the extended self and where the clear boundaries between self and other, inside and outside, material and immaterial They dissolve. At the outer limits of scientific discovery, our dualistic way of looking at the world is crumbling, and there are mysteries and anomalies that can only be expressed metaphorically and artistically. The separation between arts and science has become porous in a very interesting way. Scientists are working alongside artists to investigate many things, including creativity, intuition, and imagination. In the works The Periodic Table, Blacker analyzes both the metaphysical aspects and the geopolitical implications of matter and the material; ‘Mater’ or mother is at the root of both words. In these short performances for the camera, Blacker examines the prosaic narrative of the material, as well as the mystery of matter in a quantum state, where all the rules change and matter is described as vibration or energy. (Maia Creus, 2018) Argon is a noble gas with the symbol Ar and atomic number 18. Although argon is non-toxic, it is 38% denser than air and is therefore considered a dangerous asphyxiating in closed areas. It is also difficult to detect because it is colourless, odourless, and tasteless. It is sometimes used in the meat industry to kill animals. It is also used to extinguish fires. The word argon comes from the Greek word αργον, a singular neutral form of αργος which means “lazy” or “inactive”. It has many other uses such as light bulbs, flow lights that give a blue light, liquefied argon is used to destroy cancer cells and in electrosurgery. Perhaps its most interesting use is in the detection of dark matter, which is estimated to comprise 80% of the universe. ADM (Argon Dark Matter) is a particle physics experiment based on a liquid-argon detector that is used to search for signals from WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles), which are proposed as possible candidates for Dark matter in the universe. and MACHOs (massive halo impact astrophysical object). Physicists and astrophysicists are listening with argon to pick up the sound of a dark matter particle hitting the detector.

Notes for the action:

Lighting a black smoke bomb inside a blue kettle.

Drop the pins slowly into a cup of tea.

Close your eyes and listen.

https://vimeo.com/105636054

https://www.aestheticamagazine.com/aesthetica-art-prize-interview-longlisted-artist-denys-blacker/