The scenography of sublime spaces: A spatial methodology uniting theory and practice

Abstract

The main focus of my PhD research entitled “The scenography of sublime spaces” is the translation of the philosophical concept of ‘the sublime’ into a spatial form. This challenge requires both a philosophical and historical reading of the sublime as well as the creation of works and installations within the context of an artistic practice. Finding a productive interaction between these two extremes is one of the most important (methodological) challenges of the research and has been a priority from the start of the project. To unite these two components I have designed a conceptual structure, which functions as a spatial methodology. In this paper I will discuss how the abstract spatiality unites the method, the medium and the content of the research. Using two recent artistic projects as case studies I will elaborate on the various ways in which the wanderings through the research interior have been transcribed thus far and how this 'mapping' itself seems to deliver the (sublime) territory.