The animated us questions the idea of animism in contemporary art. Animsm comes from the Latin word anima and means the soul. In a conventional sense, animism means the attribution of a living soul or spirit to inanimate objects.

The starting point for the project is the pictorial culture of the Middle Ages. Since Modern Times the artwork and the viewer have been regarded as separated from one another. Whereas in terms of the medieval pictorial culture, there are theses suggesting that the boundaries between the artwork and the viewer have been assumed to be fluid. For example, if a believer meditated over an image of a saint, the saint was not only depicted but also present to the believer.

​

Fascinated by this kind of perception, Daniela Trinkl developed her project as an analogy to a mystical story in art history. According to this, the Cistercian monk Bernard of Clairvaux was embraced by a crucifix during a meditation.

In the installation, object 1 (object on the wall) represents an abstraction of the Crucified. Object 2 ("floating" object) represents on the one hand the detached Christ from the cross. On the other hand, by opening its “arms”, the object represents an invitation for the viewer to engage in a connection with art. In a metaphorical sense, the detachment of the object / Christ from the wall / the cross into the space means the step from dead to alive. Art is no longer just the passive object that is received and separated from the viewer. Both artwork and viewer can animate each other in relationship with one another and form each other on a mental and emotional level.

​

In this sense, Trinkl pursues the question of whether contemporary art can have the ability to open up a kind of fifth dimension in its relationship with the viewer. This triggers deeper forms of perception in order to question or dissolve categories such as "real" and "imaginary". The aim is to offer alternatives to a normative and homogeneous perspective on the world.

​

​

​

The animated us, installation, 2019

Stoneware, nylon threads, text

​

Size object 1 (object on the wall): height ~ 120 cm, width ~ 86 cm

Size object 2 („floating“ object): height ~ 185 cm, width ~ 120 cm

​