Mastering the Elements is a photographic investigation of the scientific exploration and conquest of nature from the beginnings of alchemy to the present day.
As history shows, scientific findings often have profound implications for society and people's lives. On the other hand, the underlying research is not itself unbiased, but is subject to its respective social and historical setting, as well as various commercial and political interests. Consequently, ethical questions not only about the direction and goals of modern research, but also about the limits to the deployment of scientific results should be part of a broader social discourse.
In her work Jana Hartmann addresses various topics that have captivated the curiosity of researchers throughout history and in which the frontiers of scientific knowledge continue to be pushed ever further. For example, the concept of matter that quantum physics advances today or the search to prolong human life, revitalized by discoveries in the fields of biogerontology and transhumanism.
The artist selectively took her framed photographs of scientific experiments, natural history exhibits, study models, and nature itself. By juxtaposing them with excerpts from alchemical writings, scientific papers, and ethical viewpoints, he initiates an intriguing interdisciplinary dialogue between multiple narrative perspectives: the visual artistic, the allegorical alchemical, the philosophical, and the scientific.
Format: Hardcover
Dimensions: 23 x 31 cm
Pages: 240
English language
