Exploring Coincide 23: Art, Psychology, and Experience

Exploring Art, Psychology, and Technology: Coincide 23 and the Dynamics of Experience !!!

Before Carl Gustave Jung’s well-known disagreement with Sigmund Freud, he made significant contributions to the rapidly developing field of clinical psychology. Through various experiments on word association, Jung discovered that there was a temporal aspect involved. Depending on different brain pathologies and clinical conditions, subjects would respond quickly, hesitantly, or sometimes not at all.

Coincide 23 was a well-attended event, featuring artworks that exuded a sense of elan. A meticulously organized PDF document consisting of eighty-two pages, containing curatorial statements, artists’ statements, and pictures, was provided to attendees well in advance. Despite this early visual familiarity, attending the exhibition was still a captivating experience, enhanced by the diverse scale of the artworks, which surprised and delighted visitors.

The curator of the project, Faizan Riedinger, is not just an isolated artist but part of a milieu characterized by youthful exuberance. Riedinger’s own specialty lies in contemplative Sufism, and his peers also strive to be recognized as thoughtful artists. If we view art as a form of storytelling, we can refer to Paul Ricoeur, who writes in his book ‘Time and Narrative’ (1984) that actions are always performed in interaction with others. These interactions can involve cooperation, competition, or struggle, and their outcomes can result in fortune or misfortune. Mastering this conceptual network allows for practical understanding.

It has long been demonstrated that encountering art is an aesthetic event, and aesthetics, being componential, exists within the social sphere while simultaneously shaping culture (Wilhem Worringer, 1908). This understanding of aesthetics can be combined with developments in semiotics as a science, particularly in the twentieth century, linking psychological theories of word association and linguistics. Language, as both a virus and a tool of deception, is also intertwined with the Freudian concept of the omnipotence of thought. Interestingly, the minimalism mentioned in the curatorial statement aimed to reduce aesthetic principles, focusing solely on the most objective elements of painting—color and form. Typography’s innovative use during that period is well-known, with single instances of alphabets being used effectively. In 1912, Kazimir Malevich and Ivan Puni further developed minimalism in a movement they called Suprematism. In a different context, Nasreen Mohammadi’s work provides guidance. In Coincide 23, there is no explicit evidence of a strong adherence to the original minimalist precepts; instead, the works represent an exploration of binary terms—simplicity and complexity.

The initial mention of Jung and Freud serves to highlight their contrasting approaches. While Freud’s influence on art is well-recognized, it is worth noting that Jung’s psychological theory is rooted more in sentimentalism and the archaeology of myth rather than clinical science. Modern art, on the other hand, emerges from rationalist New Objectivity in Germany, anti-academic searching in France, and the reworking of these movements in Russia. It is grounded in rigorous methodologies and has become an area of interrogation, deconstructing the process of symbolic significance.

Furthermore, the artists involved in Coincide 23 are closely connected to the digital ethos. The integration of computer software and image-manipulation programs has revolutionized the printing process, making it more intuitive and accessible. Fast-drying inks and synograph technology now allow for realistic paint replication on a variety of materials. While the imagery in the exhibition may not be entirely original, the whole-hearted appropriation of these technologies is notable.

Another noteworthy aspect of Coincide 23 is its adherence to Erwin Panofsky’s theories. Panofsky, the German art historian, suggests that the humanities transform the chaotic variety of human records into a cosmos of culture. When applied to architectonics, artists can manipulate the viewer’s position through scale and detail, creating a chronotopia—a phenomenological engagement with distance and time. Personal space and gallery space play significant roles in this process, akin to a cultural dance where viewers stop, approach, and engage with the artwork, conducting their own waltz within the gallery.

In today’s art practices, technological advances are integral, and artists must be cautious not to fall into the traps of disingenuity and obfuscation for the sake of convenience or keeping up with trends. According to John Dewey, art is fundamentally an experience, primarily for the artist during the creative process, but also for the viewer when the artwork possesses the power of expression. Culture, as the medium that brings together the artist and the viewer, plays a vital role. Recognizing this reciprocity allows us to appreciate the harmony between individual and collective experiences, which Coincide 23 celebrates at its core.