The perception of a synesthete through the eyes of an artist.
An exhibition of works by artists from all around the world were the centre of a cultural event about synesthesia, which took in Berlin in March and April 2012. The project required the artists to work over a period of 3 months in an intense dialogue with a synesthete. The exhibited works aimed to give insight into the synaesthetic world of perception from the very unique and subjective perspective of the individual artist.
Synesthesia isn’t just one weird way of seeing, hearing or smelling the world around us. Every synesthete has his very own way of experiencing a colourful or somehow exciting world. This is the point where the project focuses on. The diversity of experiencing synesthesia.
To show this diversity, a varity of works were exhibited. Artists (preferably non-synesthetes) entered into a intense dialogue with synesthetes for that project. The output was an artwork or media installation visualising a very specific and subjective version of synesthesia. The process of working together brought up many questions. Questions that lead to anwsers presented to the visitors or questions raised and still left unanswered to the public.
This experimental approach gives the visitor the chance to let himself in for the artist’s interpretation and get to know a new and extended way of perception – a word of perception, that goes beyond the common idea of it. The authentical visualisation of the synesthetical perception thereby plays a minor part, the dialogue of the participants is center stage and the impact that the visualisation and interpretation of the individual synesthete evokes in the beholder.
Over the last years, this phenomenon has been intruduced to several magazines and talkshows on the Radio. Still it is only known to a relatively small percentage of the population. This exhibition makes the topic public and connects the recent scientifc evidence in the field of neurology and psychology with a wider interpretation from the art world. Besides displaying synesthesia in all its facets, the human perception in general is scrutinised and qualified.
The extensive and diversified programme framing the exhibition, offered all interested parties access to this phascinating human phenomenon. Including documentry film screenings, talks and live-acts from synesthetes working as media artists. Official Partner of this project was the collective ProjektionsArel e.V., a non-profit ogansation focusing on cultural media activity since 2005.
The exhibition took place from the 31st of March until the 9th of April 2011 in the creative hub Panke e.V. in Berlin-Wedding.