The Science of Representation | Estufa Fria de Lisboa | March 22nd - April.17th 2022

Based on the research of Benjamin W. Betts

A CONVERSATION WITH ROSANNA HELENA BACH AND CAROLINA TRIGUEIROS

CT:  Animals, plants, atmospheric phenomena, the elements and their combinations, the constellations, the planets: there is a timeless presentiment that all beings are linked by a global and collective consciousness. This is a thought based on readings by Emanuele Coccia, which has been with me for some time, and now finds a renewed echo in what can be a comprehensive reading of your concerns and favorite themes as an artist. Your work drinks from that search and exploration of worlds, between the visible and the invisible, the indivisible. Can you talk about that sensorial nature, the corporeal and fragile, that is revealed in the works you have been developing, with a special focus on these three new glass sculptures in larger dimensions? How do you describe your practice and the relationship between these formal properties along your path?

RHB: My work very much has to do with layers, the different layers of reality, so I draw from different parts of my consciousness, to create what I’d like to think is a more complete picture of (my) reality. This means developing a relationship with my dreams, imagination, visions, intuition and observations of my surroundings. As you can tell, my approach goes against science-led obsession to define the world in terms of objective truths. This pursuit can be very limiting.

I think this is where the fundamental rift between science and theology came about. Because science’s goal is to find a law–measurable and consistent, and religion deals with spirit, which is unquantifiable and allows for a subjective mystical experience. They are framed as two diametrically opposite phenomenons. My practice tries to ask what if science and religion didn’t cancel out the other? What if they were just two parts of the same organism? Perhaps science is the what and religion the why that brings meaning to life. (And humans need meaning). There’s this quote by Alan Watts that I love, and I think speaks to this very well, “Is it truer to classify rabbits according to their meat or their fur?”.

I think quantum physics has the ability to draw new paradigms because it uses both “meat” and “fur.” The subjective is central to it, opening up to questions of what consciousness is and where it originates. These days, I’m really curious about Rupert Sheldrake, a contemporary scientist and philosopher. His current research looks at consciousness as something that is not necessarily exclusive to the brain or multicellular sentient beings but as something that is of the body and beyond what it frames. His work asks, “Is the sun conscious?”

CT: Benjamin W. Betts is an unavoidable reference to this project. In “Geometrical Psychology, or The Science Of Representation An Abstract Of The Theories And Diagrams of BW Betts”, Betts’ view of consciousness and the metaphysical evolution of the human being is presented - over more than 20 years of studies, - which translate into symbolic mathematical forms. Here, your work acts precisely on that association between consciousness and numbers, frequency and the resulting forms of flowers, crystals, and their translation into sound. Can you talk about the genesis of this idea and what you wanted to explore? Allied to a scientific and rigorous perception, this seems to be a reading loaded with mysticism. Is it also an understanding of interdependence, complementarity (…the dark threads of attraction and repulsion, sometimes spiritual, energetic, physical), that interested you in the first place in this research?

RHB: When I came across Betts’s research about consciousness, I realized it was essentially about language and the translation of number to form. Looking through his notes and journals I found that the basis of his calculations were based on frequencies (Figure 2), which means that these forms could be translated to musical notes. I was very excited about this discovery because I am taking his two dimensional drawings (Figure 1) realizing them in the 3rd dimension and translating them into sound (the 4th dimension).

So in this project, I am translating different languages through different dimensions. I translate from the visible and cerebral to the invisible and visceral. This is also reflected in the narrative of the sound composition of The Science of Representation. It’s about a journey from the third to the fourth “human standing ground,” which Betts describes as “the sacrifice of personal will for spiritual will in search for union with the infinite.” So it’s a real honor to realize and in a way continue research (or at least my interpretation of it) about 150 years later.

Figure 1

CT: Can you talk about this collaborative creative process and the various stages associated with creation? And what are the biggest transformations or implications of this collective process in your artistic work?

RHB: I knew I wanted to make larger-scale glass sculptures in natural outdoor settings for some time. So when I came across the forms and Betts’s research, I knew it was the starting point. When looking for a 3D programmer to prepare the files for the carving of the molds (which are made out of the most beautiful 100-year-old trees), I serendipitously found a woman specializing in creating a script that can translate form to sound, and this is what sparked it all. Suddenly, the process focused on finding the right people to help me. My collaborators are carrying the spirit of the project. It’s been really cool to collaborate with such talented and kind people. A year later, here we are. I  see the creation of pieces to be exhibited as living entities that evolve and change and, in time, reveal what they need.

Figure 2

CT: As mentioned, along with the sculptures’ shape, this project’s musical composition is also based on Betts’ calculations. However, there is a personal affinity with music, voice, and singing–revealed for the first time in your work. How do you see this relationship with different practices and mediums, and what stimulus leads to different forms of materialization? Do you consider this exhibition also a moment of transition in your body of work - a new stage?

RHB: This project gave ground for two of my great loves to co-exist: visual art and music. To me, music is the most powerful of all art forms because it’s multi-dimensional. It touches every cell of your body. Music has always had the most instant and intense ability to move me. I also sing. Voice is the most ancient, the first instrument we humans had. What is a better instrument to use when speaking about human consciousness than the human body?

CT: Estufa Fria emphasizes these elements we are talking about, with the plurality present in nature, but also reminds us of our existence in the city. Noise, pollution, the climate emergency. Are these  dimensions to consider in your elaboration of this project? And, ultimately, how do you think the impact and experience of living in different geographies in your practice?

RHB: One curious thing to mention about Betts regarding this topic is that in his objective to explore human consciousness, he accidentally portrayed plant forms. Like him, I am also trying to bridge the gap between man and nature. This quest led me down many paths and into the liminal / non-dual. On this journey, I realized that when I look at the world, I am really looking at a million different languages.

Language reveals how we perceive ourselves and simultaneously shapes our perception of ourselves. Language is alive, constantly changing, and morphing. In this constant feedback loop, I realize that exploring language means exploring relationships. Humans tend to condemn what they can’t understand, which highlights our ignorance and superiority complex as a species. So, yes, I think this definitely is a concern in my practice. If we could relate with more respect to the environment, to that which we don’t fully understand,  the world would look very different. Together, we can discover new languages we do not yet know how to read, and create new ones.

CT: Bearing in mind what we have been talking about, there is also a call for a certain “slow down”.   A call to  the public to contemplate the works, their activation through sound, space. Do you consider this “slow down” one of the fundamental pillars of your work and one of the great privileges as an artist? How to think about this acceleration that is imposed on us, this culture of instantaneity? Do you see your attitude as a form of resistance? In one of the letters to the young poet, Rilke had pointed out this inner path as a fundamental step in raising awareness of the art world. He insisted on overcoming a merely external gaze and the search for entry into oneself. It is from the inner connection that things can gain their beauty. He would say to the young poet: “Get closer to nature. Then try, as if you were the first person, to say what you see, live, love, and lose.”

RHB: What a beautiful quote. I suppose I feel a lot of resistance to this culture of instantaneity that, unfortunately, has leaked into the art world. I am definitely in the process of figuring out what my pace is. I have made a pact with myself to stay true to my own rhythm so that my works can keep their essence. In my case, good work takes time to make. It’s like engineering a fruit to grow faster than it should but lacks flavor. I want my fruits to be delicious! 

I often require people to become quiet, to adjust their gaze and senses, because only then do the layers in the works make themselves known. For this project, I was very excited to work with natural light. I chose to make the sculptures in this really luminescent white that would breathe and change with the light throughout the day. And needless to say, the space is incredible. It transports you somewhere else. I realized that being specific about how and where the works are shown is becoming an essential part of my process that I would most definitely like to keep exploring.… 

CT: Finally, the much-defended idea in any interview is  that it is important to ask the artist what music they are listening to. More than a song, an album, I ask you for a suggestion or a thought to keep in mind when finishing, or starting  or just  with our journey through this garden.

RHB: Leave your worries at the door; do not look for anything in particular; just wander.

All diagrams by Benjamin W. Betts from An abstract of The Theories and Diagrams of BW Betts 1887, Louisa S. Cook