Exosheen /Sadie Weis
Exosheen: the attraction to that which cannot be explained. When faced with something greater than ourselves - breathtaking and inconceivable - we are propelled into a frenzy. Exosheen represents the overpowering awe of the unknown; the captivating seduction of the shimmering abyss. It is both euphoric and perilous, chasing the dark matters of the universe for elusive answers. But what about the dark spaces between us? Where do we look for answers closer to home? This sensation is confronted and explored in Exosheen, a solo exhibition by artist Sadie Weis.
The universe is composed of the unfathomable, and our desire to calibrate and understand its depths. Legions have looked to the stars for a sense of relief, and to satisfy their longing for a jolt in perspective. Since the onset of the global pandemic, the NASA website Astronomy Picture Of the Day, has seen a 75% increase in traffic, as humanity looks outward into the vastness of space to escape its condition. Awe itself becomes a tantalizing destination. Faced with all of this darkness, one might ask; 'Are we all there is?'. With Exosheen, Weis plays with the 'what if scenario on both sides of the spectrum; reaching outwards to answer the call that is within.
Science tells us that in an estimated 13.7 billion years of existence, no other intelligent life form has yet presented itself in the universe. In the famed words of the Italian Astronomer, Enrico Fermi, “Where is everybody?'. Is it simply that we are charting the wrong axes? If our maps did not look outwards, but instead along parallel lines, would we then find our familiar others? A shift in focus may reveal that we exist on multiple planes; opening doors from a singular Universe to the plurality of a Multiverse. Within Astronomy, the theory of Eternal Inflation suggests an infinite number of universes, each with their own values of constants. These parallel universes may be all around us, imperceptible to our senses. Our inability to locate them within our gaze, leaves us blind to our presence within them. They remain, just out of sight. Just a matter of perspective.
Humanity moves at an astounding pace in its attempts to decipher the mechanics of time and space - constantly pushing the relics of science fiction into the realm of the real - through the allure of precarious technologies. The invocation of Al, the mystique of Quantum computing, the mining of asteroids, planting seeds on the moon - are all elements that are changing the legacies of humanity, the dark horse of space.
In a recent conversation with the artist, an astrophysicist noted that “life on earth is much more interesting than outer space”. Despite all that is invested in the pursuit of answering the call to space and the foundational questions of existence, this single observation encapsulates the paradox of our gazing outwards only to find that which is within; a parallel universe. A reflection, light years away.
A falling star. A broken home. A super nova. A pandemic. A meteor shower. A dream that refused to let go. Strange Matter. These glaring holes in humanity - the dark spaces between us. As things become unhinged, can we resist the magnetism of the Exosheen?