Lőrinc Borsos is a fictitious artist brought to life by artists János Borsos and Lilla Lőrinc in 2008. He lives in Székesfehérvár and works in Budapest. His site-specific installation in the spaces of ICA-D is made up entirely of new works created to study the “dark matter” he employs in his work. On this occasion he attempts to make the glossy black enamel paint talk along the lines of – and despite – its function and faculties, and then spread it out as a background, and editing board, in order to find correlations between past and current events of the passion of humanity.
The arbitrariness of starting the process is marked by minimal gestures and further induced by mechanical installations. Throughout the experiment, the effort of rational control is replaced by the practice of letting go. Beyond expression through painting reduced to ornamental quality, the elements of the exhibition are ordinary objects overdriven in their operation or deprived of their functions – and even dead creatures. Although mere trifles, together they suggest a coherent story.
“God will make man see things, if it is only against the black background of nonentity”*
As a result of disasters and tragedies, the individual’s perspective is deflected beyond the twilight zone behind the visible world, onto the ultimate horizon. The realm of eternal absurdity, lurking behind the fabric of reality punctured by evanescence. Here, the laws of physics have no effect, this is the external darkness (light), in the reflection of which existence as we know it is a mere passing shadow. A particle experiment initiated by a flick, having expanded into chaos the size of a universe in order to collapse back into itself in the next moment.** Perhaps it will be parenthesized, but it also may arrive at last.
“To look for the sake of looking: no different from being engrossed in aimlessness. Man is left on his own; and while everything begins to fade all around, his own self appears before him, threatened by disappearance, by nothingness. This is not so far from the revoking of creation. Even though the beginning was the hope of a new creation.” ***
The artist seeks the peace of mind of those who don’t stand a chance.
* G. K. Chesterton, Introduction to the Book of Job
** We need to emphasize the responsibility of the Flicker for the act of flicking, throughout which he craved to become visible instead of invisible, plural instead of singular. Throughout which event he must have had some disturbing thought that made him frame the picture so mournfully. Creation thus impaired apparently cannot be mended by neither plant nor animal or human, not even the Creator. Even if the Creator also suffers from or – God forbid – falls victim to the misery and chaos that he brought about. Apparently even the death of God can only make invisible marks on the soul of mankind and the barren wastelands of the created world. But maybe this hide-and-seek is an inseparable part of his essence, just so that there be something at least to find in the course of the terrible endeavour of reading among the lines. (BL)
*** László Földényi F.: A festészet éjszakai oldala (The nocturnal side of painting) p. 105.