Sculpture, hydro formed metal, hinges

In her series SK Adjuster, Hannah Hallermann explores strategies and skills for dealing with the flood of facts, opinions, fake news, and misinformation that shape our digital and hyper-connected daily lives. In doing so, she asks fundamental questions: Where do we direct our gaze and for how long? Does a focused, shielded view lead to greater clarity – or does it reinforce blind spots? What happens when we actually gain new insights from a different, deeper source than the incessant flood of information?

The central motif of the series is the blinders, which were originally used to limit the field of vision of horses and to control their behaviour. As a sculptor, Hallermann transforms this image into sculptural objects made of different materials. The largest work in the series, a pair of adjusters made of silver, hydroformed metal, held together by hinges, which despite being made of steel, look like soft, largerthan-life cushions. Her works reflect on whether the constant adjustment of our field of awareness has become a crucial skill of our time. How can we open ourselves to new perspectives without getting lost in distraction or stuck in confinement?

For over a year, Hallermann researched the flood of information that washes over us every day via news and social media channels. She addresses the ambiguity of information that can create both a valueable overview as well as perplexing uncertainty, while questioning our autonomy in dealing with knowledge. The Adjusters evoke algorithms that mirror our search queries and keep us in self-reinforcing feedback loops. One of the starting points for SK Adjuster is the idea that censorship today does not necessarily work by withholding information, but rather by flooding people with information that can hardly be filtered (Yuval Harari).

Hallermann’s stylised, movable blinders serve as a metaphor for this constant adjustment of our perception. They hold the risk of isolating us within a filter bubble, making us believe our reality is the only truth. At the same time, they can create spaces for pausing and fostering radically new and independent thoughts.

• Sektion Section: Exhibition
• Programm Programme: Witnessing Witnessing