Hannu Karjalainen

In my work A Strange Luminescence, I am examining people’s interdependencies not only with each other but also with other life forms. The dreamlike work, which is presented in the form of a self-help meditation tape, borrows the title from W.G. Sebald’s novel The Rings of Saturn (1995). The novel’s narrator compares humanity to the destructive power of fire in the context of 19th century industrialization. The narrator calls civilization a ‘strange luminescence’. Luminescence is a physical phenomenon in which light is emitted without the release of thermal energy—that is, cold light. The video raises questions about, among other things, individualism, the promise of eternal growth in the capitalist economy, and the future prospects of humanity.