Verena Friedrich: Share Prize Frankenstein

„Whenever we contemplate the future, we must inevitably address the question of time. How long does the present last? Is it possible to conserve the fragile present, and when will it become a memory bubble? Just like animals, humans do not actually have a sensory system for the past and for the future. Consequently, we obsessively attempt to preserve the present, to prolong our existence, and to approach immortality. This is to be achieved in a Faustian pact with science, medicine and technology. Verena Friedrich has found a contemporary three-dimensional image for this quest. With considerable technological effort, she prolongs the life of a soap bubble, known in art history since the 17th century as a symbol of impermanence.“– Hermann Nöring

THE LONG NOW was developed in the context of EMARE Move On at OBORO’s New Media Lab and a residency at Perte de Signal, both in Montréal. Supported by the cultural program of the European Commission, the Goethe-Institut, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, FACT Liverpool and the Kunstfonds Foundation, Germany.