Inherently Unpredictable and Reassuringly Expectable
by Panos Charalampidis & Mary Chairetaki

portfolio shortlisted call 'WHAT'S THE URGENCY?', 2021

Inherently Unpredictable and Reassuringly Expectable (2016 - ongoing): This body of work echoes a sinister omen from the future. “1866 Sisyphus” is the name of a near-Earth asteroid, discovered by astronomer Paul Wild in 1972. Measuring 6-9 km in diameter, in the unlikely occasion of ever colliding with earth, it will bring life to an end. In an imaginary scenario, we bring Sisyphus down on earth during its nearest crossing on November 24, 2071. The end of the world is used as the core to form a layered body of work, which will engage the viewer into pondering on the meaning of existence. The imagery of this ongoing project seems to be part of a non-indexed collection of evidence that leads to a future accident. Although photography is central to our approach, we apply a broader arsenal of types, by collecting printed material, and by incorporating found images and texts, video stills, readymade objects, sounds, etc. On a more functional level, we challenge the evidential nature of images by concealing history, recontextualizing material, and blending facts with fiction. Our purpose is to engage the viewer into pondering on the meaning of existence, by visualising a Sisyphean condition, a hypothetical certainty of absolute futility: all life on earth will cease to exist.


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