Published in ILLUMInations: 54th International Art Exhibition: The Venice Biennale Catalogue, editors Bice Curiger and Giovanni

Carmine, Venice, Marsilio Editori, 2011, pp. 100-111.

RainbowsandRationalism
TheFateoftheTerrestrialManifestoofArt

RezaNegarestani
[T]hedisenchantmentoftheworldunderstoodasaconsequenceoftheprocesswhereby theEnlightenmentshatteredthegreatchainofbeinganddefacedthebookoftheworld isanecessaryconsequenceofthecoruscatingpotencyofreason,andhencean invigoratingvectorofintellectualdiscovery,ratherthanacalamitousdiminishment.1 I.Launchyourpatronintospaceandwatchyourworldflip. Aggravatedbywar,transmutedbycapitalism,modulatedbyliberalismandmusteredby globalism,thetwentyfirstcenturyartworldthatnebuloussitefortheconfluxofartists, artworks,curatorialprocesses,spectators,institutions,markets,rawmaterials,laboris determinedbyitscomplicatedrelationship,itscomplicity,withtheEarthasitsfirstandforemost patron.Eventhelucrativepromiscuityofcontemporaryartwithitspolitical,economicand culturalpatronstakesplaceundertheauspicesofthisuniquemonogamousrelationship. Presidingoverthemarriageisacertainineradicableconceptionofterrestrialitywhichconstitutes thehorizonofallactivitiesontheplanet:Terrestrialityisgraspedasacontinuumofneighboring regionsorcomplexmanifoldswhosetensionsandsynthesesfabricatewhatweknowastheearth. Asacontinuum,thisterrestrialhorizonhasatoncelocalandglobalexpressions.Whilstlocal expressionsoftheterrestrialcontinuumsuggestvariousformsoftensions(transformative, antagonistic,accelerative,inhibitive,etc.)betweenregionalsites,theglobalexpressionarticulates thesyntheticanduniversalaspectofthecontinuumthatconnectsandopenstheregionaltothe global.Whilsttheregionalhasitsdifferentordersofmagnitudecerebral,individual,social, geopolitical,andevengeologicalregionstheglobalhorizonofterrestrialitythatmarksthe ultimateboundariesofsuchtensionsandtheirsynthesesisfiguredbythebodyoftheEarth.The artworldpartakesinterrestrialsynthesesthattraversethisglobalizedbody;atthesametimeits scopeandactivitiesarealsodeterminedbytensionsbetweenterrestrialregionsspanningthe entiretelluriccontinuum,frombasicinorganicregionsoftheearthtobiological,cultural,socio
1

RayBrassier,NihilUnbound:EnlightenmentandExtinction,(London:Palgrave,2007),p.xi.

politicalandeconomicregions.Itsartistic,curatorial,culturalandcommercialperspectivesshift accordingtoregionalglobaltensionsandtheircorrespondingsyntheses(relationsbetween regionalperspectivesandtheglobaloutsideortheopen).Themoreradicaltheseterrestrial tensionsintermsoftheirsyntheses,thebroaderthescopeoftheartworld,themoreenlightened andthemoredeepeneditsperspectives.Butasweshallsee,thispathofilluminationdoesnot followtheleadofplanetarymyopiasormodelsoflightingrootedinastrictmonogamywiththe Earthandarestrictedconceptionofterrestriality. TheEarthsglobalcontinuumisconstitutedofinfinitesimallyfuzzygradientsofregionaltensions whicharepurelysynthetic:neuropsychologicaltensionsbetweentheindividualanditsoutside thathighlightthedeprivatizedsiteofthinking;socialtensionsthatpastethealreadysynthetic publicindividualintothesocialfabricasasitewhereindividualactionsandthoughtshaveno longerexclusiveexpressions;economictensionsthatmeticulouslygluethegeochemicaltensions oftheinorganicearthtothepermeableeconomiesoftheorganism,societyandterritorythrough widespreadproduction,circulationandconsumptionofminerals,chemicalcompoundsandfuels; (post)industrialdialecticsbetweentheattentivetriadmanlabortechnologyandtheinattentive andcosmicallyindifferentbodyoftheEarthfromwhosebowelscultureandcivilizationare traumaticallyconceived;andlastly,modernnations,whichdominantlyconcentrateallthe aforementionedregionaltensionswithintheirtransterritorialhorizons.Theearthspatronagefor todaysartistoounfaithful,itsbusinesstooshady,itssourceoffundstoountraceable,forthe artistnottoshedsomelightonherdependentrelationshipwithit.Likewise,thecontemporary artworldisunthinkablewithoutamodelofenlightenmentcapableofilluminatingitsregional sitesitsartists,works,nationsasgradationsofaprofoundterrestrialcontinuum.Butsucha featofenlightenmentunderstoodbothasawideningofartisticscopeandaoverdueprobeinto thesubterrainoftheartworldfirstrequirestheunbindingofatrulyuniversalistconceptionof theearthinwhichtheregionalglobalcontinuumhasnoground,centerordiscreteregional authority,foritisdrivenbytheopen.Withintheuniversalistconceptionofterrestriality,the relationshipsbetweenregionsofthecontinuum(whethercerebral,socialornational)are unrestricted,andultimately,thepatronageoftheearthforartisnolongeramatterof guardianshiporprovisionbutoneofdeliveringart,itsvisionsandproblems,withoutany chaperoningprejudice,totheabyssaldepthsoftheuniversalcontinuum. Accordingly,theuniversalistandspeculativewideningofterrestrialsynthesesopensatransfinite scopefortheartistbyilluminatingtheworldofartanditsnationsasnondiscreteyetfocalized gradientsofthegeocosmiccontinuum,theunbounduniversalgradientinwhichonecanno longerisolateorcapitalizeonanyregion(ofthought,theEarthortheUniverse)whatsoever.Since regionsofthegeocosmiccontinuumareallsyntheticallyinterconnectedandincomplicitywith theglobalexpressionofthecontinuum,artisticandphilosophicalproductsofthebrainareno longerirreproachable:Likeanyotherproduct,theydonothaveanyfundamentallydiscrete presencewithintherealityofthecontinuum,becausetheyarecontinuallydetermined,

transformed,andrenegotiatedbythetensionsandsynthesesbetweeneconomic,cultural, biologicalandeveninorganicregionalgradientsoftheglobalcontinuum.Consequently,theso calledinnersanctuariesofthesenses,emotionsandintellectthesitesofartisticcreativity mustberegardedasregionsnestedwithintheprecariousminesofAfrica,SouthAmericaand Asia,gradationallyinseparablefromthemicronationoffactoriesandillegalworkshops,the amorphousrendezvouspointsoflowwages,chemicalfumesandhumantraffickingsystems.In thesamevein,theartistichavenofintuitionisapartoftheneurochemicalplasticityofthe cerebralindividuumorthenervoussystemthathasneverbeen(andshouldneverbe)withdrawn fromeverydayexplosionsandinsurgenciesinthestreetsoftheearthorthecontingentlyand indifferentlydistributedcosmicinorganicmaterialsthatsimultaneouslyshape,feedand traumatizeit.Withinthetelluriccontinuum,streets,mines,militarizedtrenches,thebrainand thesocalledhomearecavernouslydugwithineachotherinamannerthatistopologicallyand categoricallycontingentandcounterintuitive.Respectively,theEarthwithitsundeservedly privilegedstatusandglorifiedsolarpatrontheSunisalreadyexpropriatedinthenameofthe universalpublic,aUniverseinwhichneitherreasonnormaterialityhaveaprivatelifeoftheirown oraparticularidealnecessity.Forthisreason,thespeculativewideningoftheartworldacross thegeocosmiccontinuum,notasadiscreteselfcenteredworldbutasasyntheticregional gradientoftheuniversalcontinuum,markstheweddingofuniversalenlightenmentandthe artisticvision.Atthesametime,itisanalloutuniversalistwar(ratherthanawarofnations) againstallleftoverandmutatedstrainsofplanetarymyopiathosecosmeticallyenhanced variantsofthePtolemaictradition,capitalism,liberalismandfundamentalism. II.Togroundcontrol,wehardlyseeanyearthuphere. TherestrictedconceptionofterrestrialityalwaysrecognizestheEarthasadiscreteentitythathas thefinalword(ormoreaccurately,world)ineverything.Thisaxiomaticworldonwhichall thoughts,visionsandmodesoflivingmustbegroundedisnotnecessarilysynonymouswiththe planetEarth.Foritcanbeonesnation,theinteriorityoftheself,thepurportedintegrityof lineage,thesanctumofartisticintuitions,thesiteoftheintellectoranyhorizonwhoseedgesfold overontothemselvestoformaselfcenteredsphere,anaxiomaticresourceofitsownverity. Thosewhoarewearyofthisenvelopedworldaretoldtounburdenthemselvesbydeclaringthe EarthastheprivatepropertyoftheDivine,ormoreconstructively,tobuildanewEarthoutofthe resourcesathand,thatistosay,fromtheaxiomaticallyveritableanddiscreteEarthsofthis world:Theirindividualselves,nations,ancestrallineages,privateintuitionsandsoon.Inthis world,opennessofscopeisalwayscircumscribed;synthesesbetweenregionsaremodally restricted,realalternativesarediminishinginsofarassynthesesprogressivelyhappenonthebasis ofcapacityandaffordabilityofregionsandthefactthateachregioncannowisolateitsown veritableearthasthegroundofitssynthesis(i.e.openness)towardtheoutside.Theearthof illusoryalternativesandrestrictedsynthesesisanearthendemicallysusceptibletothescourgeof fundamentalism,whichinsistsonexpandingtheDivinesfranchisetoeverycorneroftheEarth

anditsregions.Itisequallydazzledbythemirageofglobalopennessgeneratedbyliberalisms confusionbetweenrealalternativesbroughtaboutbytheuniversalcontinuumandaffordable optionsbasedonregionalcapacitiesandeconomicalimperatives.Butaboveall,theworldofthe discreteearthisthevenueofcapitalismsglobalcircuitry,switchingfromoneterritorytoanother, fromonelimittothenext,fromtheearthofoneregiontoanewerEarth. Capitalismdoesnotadvocateisolatedregionsperse;indeed,itchampionsaglobalcontinuumof theearthbutonewhosefrontierscansafelyandreliablybedeterminedatanytime.What capitalismsupportsissynthesisbetweenisolatedregionsanddiscreteearthssoasto simultaneouslyconformtocapacitiesthatis,affordableconfinesofcerebral,socialand nationalregionsoftheEarth,andappearastheultimateemancipatoryforce:Ourbusinessisto incorporateallsecludedregionsintoawholesomeEarth.Inordertocarryonitsplanetarytrades, capitalismmustpreventtheEarthfromdissipatingoutofitsmanifestglobalhorizon,itsdiscrete selfcenteredsphere.Inshort,capitalismmustdemarcateanddeterminetheboundariesofthe universalcontinuum,foronlyinaboundcontinuumcanregionsbediscretelyidentified, synthesesormethodsofopennessrestricted,andregionalcapitalizationundertaken.Withinsuch arestrictedambit,thetransitionfromtheregionaltotheglobaldoesnotbespeakoftherealityof theuniversalcontinuum.ItsimplydenotesaunifiedconceptoftheselfcentredEarththe groundcontroloftheartistthatpreventsherfromsightingtheuniversalistpictureofherart worldwhich,liketheEarth,isnottheworldbutanincreasinglyblurredgradientoftheunbound continuum,ininfinitesimalcomplicitieswithotherregionalspheres. Thepossibilityofwideningartisticscopebywrestinganunbounduniversalcontinuumfromthe currentsponsorsofplanetarymyopiarestsuponasynthetictransfigurationoftheartist:The artistbecomesanewparticipantinthespeculativeprojectofenlightenment,alongsidescience andphilosophy.Syntheticilluminationbeginswithmodernsciencesheadlongdiveintothe chasm:Modernscienceembracesonlyonenecessity,thenecessityofanunbounduniversal continuumabsolutelyfreefromthenecessityofitsparticularelementsnomatterwhoorwhat theyare.Itonlyacknowledgesareasonthatdoesnotemanatefromtheocularsubjecttothe world,butfollowstheimpersonalcourseofagenericlight.Inshort,modernscienceimpersonally heraldsaboundlessuniversalcontinuumandindoingso,itcontributestotheabolitionof privatized,isolationistregionsoftheworldinthenameofapublicabyss.Disenthralledbythe abyssaluniverseintroducedbymodernscience,philosophysystematicallysynthesizesall universallyexpropriatedregionsoftheopenintoonegradient.Accordingly,itapproximatesthe scopeoftheuniversalsynthesisforthoughtasaunifiedgradientsynthesizedbyalternativeand unrestrictedmodesofopennessdrawnbetweenregionsbytheuniversallineofsynthesisor genericlightoftheopenbetweenthefieldsofculture,politics,economy,geology,mathematics, etc.Thehighlightingfunctionofsyntheticilluminationreachesitsgreatestintensitywhenart beginstocolorthegradientsuncoveredbymodernscienceandsyntheticallyapproximatedby philosophy.Theartistschromaticilluminationoftheuniversalcontinuumnotaccordingtothe

willofregions(earthlysponsors,intellectualguardians,andemotionallysanctionedmuses)but accordingtothewilloftheopenthisistheonlysweepinglyrevolutionary,realistic(byany measureorinanysense)andresponsibleartisticengagementforbringingouttherealityof regions/nationsColortherainbowsoftheunbounduniverseandbringingtheirregionsinto focusasitsspectra.Farfromrestrictingthecourseoflighttoitsownregionorbecomingthe stellarsourceofit,artisticilluminationsshouldmakeregionsnotonlytheregionsoftheart worldbutalsoofthoughts,streetsandnationschromaticallystandoutwithoutanyself imposeddistortionormyopia,butintheirreal,contingentandunrestrictedrelationshipswiththe universalchasm.Thisiswhyeventhecomplexportrayaloftheartistasamultifacetedrefractor whobendsregionalbeamsoflightthroughvariousprocessesofartisticproductionsoasto convergethemuponherworkdoesnotsatisfactorilypresentthesyntheticfigureoftheartistas theonewhoworksthroughandwithinthegenericlightoftheuniverse.Inthislatterfigure,the artistbringsoutthecontinuityofallnationswiththeunboundcontinuumoftheabyss,and therebychromaticallyhighlightsallunrestrictedsynthesesandcomplicitiesbetweenregions betweenherworld,thesubterraneanworkingsofmines,theartworld,factories,theworldofher patron,insurgenciesinthestreets,lowwages,capitalism,fundamentalism,liberalism,oil,water, DubaisandVenicesancientandfuture.2 III.Backtocoloringrainbowsandmakinginfinitebows.
[A]lldualitiesdisappear,acontinuumislookedfor,andtheculturalwebisunderstoodasacomplex topologicalspacewhereallsortsofbreaks/suturesofcontinuitygiverisetothemostinteresting artistic,philosophicalandscientificexpressionsoftheepoch.3

Coloringrainbowsisnofrivoloustask;itisnotamatterofglorifiedwhimsicalitybutofutmost rationality.Thesynthetictransfigurationoftheartistasthetinterofuniversalcontinuumcalls, firstofall,foradistinctionbetweenthecentersanctifyinghalosofthegloryandthefloating universalbridgesoftherainbow.Gloriesareproducedbylightreflectedbacktowarditssourceby acloudofuniformlysizeddropletsinsuchawaythattheobserversshadow(Brockenspectre) appearsatthecenterofthechromatichalooftheglory.Buttherationalistlightoftheuniversal continuumisdestituteofanysingularilluminatingsource.Evenstarsaremerelyglorifiedregions; fortheearthstheymonopolize,theyaretransientobstaclestouniversalillumination,orprecisely speaking,sourcesofplanetaryobsessions.Thelightofuniversalcontinuumanditsunbound synthesisisneitherdiurnalnornocturnal,foritisshackledneithertostellarluminancenorto planetarydusk.Itisavagueandgeneralizedlightradicallyindifferenttodayandnight;onethat,
Thesyntheticreintegrationoftheartistindicates,morethanever,theexigencyofartsorganizations suchastheUKsUrbanomicthatembraceunforeseeablesynthesesbetweenphilosophersandartists withinvistasopenedupbyscientists,atthesametimeprobingbothterritorialandintellectualregionsfor individualandcollectiveentitieswhoseheterogeneitiescreatenewtopologiesoftensionandsynthesis. 3 FernandoZalamea,PeirceandLatinAmericanRazonabilidad:ForerunnersofTransmodernity,in EuropeanJournalofPragmatismandAmericanPhilosophy,Vol.1,(2009),p.120.
2

asTintorettodepicts,breaksandentersofitsownaccordfromasymmetricalcracksitopensin thehorizon,orlightsitcontingentlyimprovisesfromregionalresourcesforinstance,anoillamp thatoutshinesthesaints.ButfreeevenfromthedivinologicalsourceofTintorettoslighting,the syntheticlightoftheuniversalcontinuumrelinquishesallprivilegesandprivationsby transplantingtheuniversalintotheregionalandincitingmodallyunrestrictedsyntheseswhich drive(treiben)theregiontowardtheopen.Withintheopencontinuum,thedivinologicalinfinity, likeanyotherorderofinfinity,findsaregionalandcontingentlypositedstatusandforthis reason,likeanyotherregionalregister,itisexteriorizedbythepositiveforceofopennessits necessityisrevokedbyuniversalcontingency.Unlikeglories,whicharecircularlyformedbythe reflectionoflightbacktowarditssource,thegeneralizedlightoftheopenisalientoanysourceof lightthatreasoncouldbetracedbackto.Itpervadesanyobstructionagainstsynthesesofthe universallightanddeflectsthecentralityofshadowsofregionalsubjects(observers,thinkers, tinters,creators)totheuniversalcontinuumanditsgradients.Therefore,thesyntheticlightofthe opendoesnotallowuniversalringstoradiallyexpandaroundtheshadowoftheregionalsubject. Rainbowsglorifyneitherthesubjectnoranyregionoftheuniverse.Asthegenericlightofthe universalcontinuumtraversesregionalhorizonseachadropletoracrystallizedparticleopento lightitentersthem.Uponenteringaregionalhorizon,thelightrefracts,bringingintothe equationtheinternalconditionsoftheregion.Oncethelightreachestheendofthehorizon(the backofthedroplet),itreflectsback.Asthelightdepartstheregionaldroplet,itchangesdirection onceagain,indicatingadeparturefromtheregionalconditions(thecompositionofthedroplet) intotheopen,andaccordingly,thecontinuationofthissyntheticilluminationforotherregions. Thisfreedomofdeparturetotheopenthewayoutilluminatedintheregionalspherebythe lightoftheuniversalsynthesis,chromaticallyrevealstheunboundcontinuityoftheregional enclosurewiththeopen,settinghighlightedpathsforauniversalrevolution:thatis,the possibilityofunrestrictedsynthesesbetweenregionalhorizonsoftheuniverse,reasonasananti gloryandtherationalopportunityofrecognizingtheopenasanongloriouscontinuumthatis freeofthecentralityofitsregions.

Theregionalsphereandsyntheticillumination

Assitesofuniversalrevolutions,rainbowsbecomethepolychromaticthatistosay,spectrally andpanoramicallyhighlightedopenembracesoftheuniversalsynthesisbetweenallregionsof theworld.Forthisreason,itisimportantthattheartistdoesnottreatrainbowsgloriously.Not onlydoesthewaveofuniversalsynthesisbreakandenteronitsown,italsofollowsthespecific conditionssetbyeachregionornationoftheuniverse.Whatisimportantinpursuingrainbowsis thattheopenreflectsontoitsuniversalcontinuumthroughitsregionalspheresinmorethanone way.Inotherwords,opennessisnotonlytheexpressionofboundlessnessbutalsotheexpression ofmodalfreedomthattheuniversalsynthesistowardtheopentakesplaceintheregional horizoninmorethanoneway.Therefore,theregionsoftheworldcanbeopenedontoeach otherinmodesuntrammeledbyanyregionalnecessity,nationalrestrictionormethodological prejudice.Thegenericlightoftheuniversalsynthesisisreflectedintheregionalspherenotonce ortwice,butinfinitely;andinbeingsoreflected,itcreatesrainbowsofhigherorders,rainbows withinfinitebows.Rainbowscreatedbysecondandthirdreflectionsoflightinasingledroplet (viz.rainbowswithtwoandthreebows)arerareinnature,asthelightbeginstogrowdimmer andloseitsintensityandbecomesinvisibletotheobserver.However,itissaidthatFrench physicistFlixBillet(18081882)observedarainbowofthenineteenthorderwithoverlapping andseparatebows,bowswithdifferentangularsizesandeccentricimbricationsfanningoutinall directions.FollowingBillet,whocalledthisilluminatedtwirlingblossomofcontinuatherose(rose desarcsenciel),themodallyunboundreflectionoftheuniversallightwithineachandevery regionalhorizoncreateshyperroses. Hyperrosesaretheasymptoticexpressionsofboththeboundlessuniversalcontinuumandthe freedomofitslineofsynthesis,itslight.Theygrowinsilentindifferencetoregionalmyopiasor,as historianCarlBenjaminBoyernotedregardingthreearcedrainbows,theygrowwherenoone looksforthemorsees.Theartistenlightenedbythesyntheticlightoftheopen,forthisreason,is thehunterofrosesevenbeforebeingthechromatichighlighterofuniversalrainbows.Movedby anunanchoredearth,committedtothepathofantigloriesanddevotedtothegardenofhyper roses,theuniversalistartistknowsthatthegenericlightoftheopenanditslineofsynthesiscan beneitherintensifiednorseparatedfromitsuniversalbackdrop.Suchattemptstointensifythe genericuniversallightorseparateitarepreludestoglorification.Butthenhowisitpossibleto hunthyperrosesandcolortheirsprawlingsynthesesastheexpressionofanunboundandfree universeiftheartistcannotseethesyntheticbowsthatgrowaroundher?HereTintorettos techniqueforcreatingintenseandcondensedlightswhichdonotgrowdiminregionalspheres shouldbeadoptedasarationalmodelofparamountimportance.Drawinguponatheoryoflight derivedmorefromgeneralchemistry(medievaltheoriesofratio,concoctionandquantityof qualities)andtheturbulentlatescholastictheologythanatheoryofoptics,Tintorettoattainedan intensesyntheticilluminationthroughanemphasisontheclosureoftheregionalbackgroundand theelementsofthescene.Onlywhenshadowsofregionalelementsarepainteddarker,when regionalperspectivesbecomeextremelyfocused,whentheratioofregionalclosuretouniversal opennessincreases,isthegenericlightoftheopenaccentuated,sothatitcanbegintoirrigate

hyperroses.Inordertoseethehyperrosesofthegenericlight,itisimperativetoadopta terminallyfocusedvisionwithregardtoregionsoftheuniverse,andtorealizethetrueexpression oftheregional(whetheritistherealityofanartworkornations)asaclosurethatshouldbeboth integrallyanddifferentiallyhighlighted.Itisthejustproportionofclosurewithregardtothe outsidethatbringsoutandintensifiesthewilloftheopenanditsunboundsyntheses. Themoreintegraltheartistsregionalsubjectivity,themoreintensethelightofuniversal synthesisthroughtheregionalenclosure,andthehigherordertherainbowthathighlightsthe pathsofthatregiontotheopentherosetwistsforth.

Aglory

Arainbow