Numen/Lumen
Kunstquadrat, Pfarrkirche Maria Saal, 2021
3 lightboxes with tv-simulators (1:1, 4:3, 16:9), 3 benches
In theology, NUMEN refers to the presence of a formless divine and it is precisely this moment of the non-concrete and immaterial that interests the artists here. The numinous, this deeply emotional experience of the divine, germinates in our very personal perception. It has no specific form and no specific image, it can neither be proven nor refuted.
With LUMEN, on the other hand, we designate a physical unit that gives size to light. Symbolically, light stands for presence – in churches, the eternal light reminds us of God’s constant presence. In our private lives, on the other hand, it is often the flickering of a television set in the evening that indicates to the outside world: someone is at home here.
zweintopf now use so-called TV simulators in their light boxes. These are simple devices – if you go on vacation, they automatically produce a flickering TV on the ceiling during the main evening program. Like an eternal light, they suggest the presence of people while they are away. But it is not a spiritual glow, rather it is intended to protect our possessions and keep people with dishonest intentions away.
