Author: Gianni Sarcone

Invisible Artworks: The Absurdity of Nothingness in Contemporary Art?

Gianni Sarcone
MU, Kanji

In the world of contemporary art, the concept of invisibility has become an imaginative playground for creativity. Here’s a glimpse into some intriguing—and often humorous or haunting—examples of invisible artworks that challenge our perceptions and redefine what art can be.

Notable Invisible Artworks:

1. Yves Klein – ‘Zone de Sensibilité Picturale Immatérielle’ (1959)

   Klein sold ownership of empty space, allowing collectors to own nothingness itself. A bold move that encourages us to consider the value of absence!

2. Marinus Boezem – ‘Show V: Immateriële ruimte’ (1965)

    This piece features “air doors” made of cold and warm air currents, inviting viewers to experience immateriality.

3. Michael Asher – ‘Vertical Column of Accelerated Air’ (1966) 

    Asher composed a work entirely of drafts of pressurized air, encouraging participants to engage through sensation rather than sight.

4. Art & Language – ‘Air-Conditioning Show’ (1967)

   This installation featured an empty room with two air conditioning units, emphasizing that the true art lies in the feelings and conversations it inspires. Talk about a cool concept!

5. James Lee Byars – ‘The Ghost of James Lee Byars’ (1969)

   Byars designed a pitch-black room, inviting visitors to contemplate emptiness. It’s like stepping into a fridge at midnight—dark and full of existential questions.

6. Robert Barry – ‘Telepathic Piece’ (1969)

   Barry’s artwork consisted of thoughts communicated mentally to visitors. A reminder that sometimes art is all about connection—without any visual representation!

7. Andy Warhol – ‘Invisible Sculpture’ (1985) *

   Warhol’s intangible sculpture, presented atop a white pedestal, exemplifies the idea that art can exist without form, challenging us to think beyond traditional boundaries.

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Sphere of Influence of Our Ego

Gianni Sarcone

Imperialism is not limited to a group or a country. In fact, each of us is, in essence, an imperialist, striving—whether subtly or forcefully, skillfully or clumsily—to expand his / her sphere of influence in the world. The methods we employ vary from person to person: some are conciliators, while others are more combative.
When I was 25, I empirically explored how these spheres of influence, which I termed ECFs, interacted between two individuals. To make the concept understandable, I employed the metaphor of colors. This brief is discussed in my book, “Le Voile d’Iris” (French edition, see image below). Perhaps one day, I will revisit this study to develop it into something more rigorous.

The ‘Sassy Sparkler’ Sea Worm: Nature’s Deep-Sea Light Show

Gianni Sarcone

While exploring the Chile Margin along South America’s coastline, researchers made a dazzling discovery with their robotic explorer, ROV SuBastian: the iridescent ‘sassy sparkler‘ sea worm.

At first glance, this deep-sea polychaete worm appears unremarkable with its bristly body. But as it moves, its shimmering bristles reflect light, creating a pink iridescent glow. The secret lies in nanoscale structures within the bristles that act like prisms, scattering light to produce shifting colors depending on the angle of view.

This optical illusion not only mesmerizes but also serves practical purposes. The worm’s changing hues help with camouflage, communication, and UV protection in the deep ocean.

Polychaetes like the ‘sassy sparkler’ play essential roles in marine ecosystems, thriving in extreme environments like hydrothermal vents and contributing to nutrient cycling in ocean depths.

Apparition: The Face That Transforms

Gianni Sarcone

I’m pleased to announce that my work Apparition will be featured in the 6th volume of Taschen’s Library of Esoterica, set to release in early 2025.

This portrait, created by combining photographs of 50 different human faces, presents a ghostly image that endlessly shifts its features as you look at it. The effect is driven by the neural adaptation phenomenon, similar to Troxler fading, along with the brain’s face-recognition circuits, which complete the image.

You can explore this piece and more with prints available from my online gallery.

For a deeper dive, visit Spirit Worlds here to explore art, rituals, and myths from hidden realms.

Van Gogh and the Path to Abstraction

Gianni Sarcone

In the painting La Maison Blanche, la Nuit (1890), Vincent van Gogh’s vivid brushstrokes, layered over background hues, give the artwork a surreal dimension. His late works are marked by these expressive strokes, almost like vectors of the soul, stirring and expanding the space within his compositions.

La Maison Blanche, la Nuit, 1890, Vincent van Gogh, in the Hermitage Museum.

Had Van Gogh shifted toward a greater focus on minimalist expression rather than detailed representation, his work might have evolved in a more abstract direction. This evolution could have shared similarities with pioneers like Kandinsky and Mondrian, particularly in their use of pure form and color. However, Van Gogh’s distinct style would have likely led him toward a more organic abstraction, where his vibrant palette could have become swirling, interlacing forms—creating a dynamic sense of color and movement that might have hinted at the future development of Abstract Expressionism.

When Orient Meets Occident: The Buddhist and Christian Parables

Gianni Sarcone

The Buddhist parable of the man hanging from a cliff and the Christian legend of “Barlaam and Josaphat” both explore human vulnerability, the impermanence of life, and fleeting pleasures. Despite different contexts, they share profound philosophical insights.

The Buddhist Parable

A man chased by tigers falls off a cliff, clinging to a fragile root. Facing death above and below, he notices a ripe strawberry. Ignoring danger, he tastes it, savoring the present moment. The strawberry symbolizes mindfulness and the beauty of the present despite life’s dangers.

The Christian Legend

In the medieval Christian story, a man chased by a unicorn falls into a pit, holding onto a branch. A dragon waits below, while two mice—one black, one white, symbolizing night and day—gnaw at the root. Drawn by the sweetness of honey dripping nearby, he forgets the danger beneath. The honey represents worldly pleasures that distract from spiritual awareness.

Key Similarities

– Life’s Fragility: Both stories depict imminent danger, emphasizing life’s precariousness and impermanence.

– Fleeting Pleasures: The strawberry and honey symbolize temporary sensory pleasures.

– Impermanence: The mice in the Christian tale echo the passing of time, a theme also present in the Buddhist view.

Key Differences

– Buddhist Perspective: Focuses on mindfulness and present awareness.

– Christian Perspective: Warns against worldly distractions from spiritual truth.

Both parables emphasize life’s fragility and the tension between danger and fleeting pleasures. They offer timeless reflections on mindfulness and the importance of spiritual awareness.

But how is art connected to these stories? Both explore how perception shapes our experience of life. What we focus on—whether a ripe berry, a drop of honey, or a striking pattern—can define our reality, revealing beauty or reflecting deeper truths.

These parables also show the importance of context. In the East, strawberries symbolize sweetness, while in the West—especially during medieval times—it was honey. The sources of fear also differ: in the East, tigers have long been feared, and this legacy endures today. In the West, storytellers created mythical creatures to inspire fear, since real animals like bears and wolves, though dangerous, typically keep their distance from humans, making them seem less threatening than imagined monsters.

Beauty, Brains, and Charisma

Gianni Sarcone

Beauty’s been a big deal since ancient Greece, where καλὸς κἀγαθός meant more than just a pretty face. It was the ultimate combo: good looks, brains, and virtue. For the Greeks, this wasn’t just a nice idea—it was how they judged your worth.

Fast forward to now, and beauty is still treated as a golden ticket. If you’re not exactly a head-turner but you’ve made it, chances are you’re pretty smart… Sure, beauty often gets written off as superficial, but Aristotle wasn’t wrong when he said, “Beauty speaks louder than any introduction.” Let’s be honest: good looks are a serious social advantage. People treat you better, offer more opportunities, and generally give you a leg up—whether you’re in school, at work, or even in court. Plus, fairy tales and society are pretty obsessed with tying beauty to success. Studies show that attractive people even get a better deal in the justice system.

But here’s the twist: if a guy who’s no Greek god succeeds, people assume he’s smart. If it’s a woman, they’ll say she’s got “character.” Funny how that works, right?

Luckily, looks fade, and that’s when real beauty shows up in unexpected ways. As Shakespeare said in A Midsummer Night’s Dream: “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.”

Beauty’s a gift you didn’t have to work for. Intelligence, though? That’s earned, much like how a pearl forms in an oyster in response to a parasitic intruder. Life’s challenges are what shape and refine your smarts, one obstacle at a time.

So, sure, beauty’s nice—but it can also be a bit of a double-edged sword. What really counts—whether you’re a looker or not—is CHARISMA. It’s not something you’re born with, but something you build over time. Only the truly determined, the ones who know what they want, actually get it.

Mystic Flying Bat

Gianni Sarcone

Mystic Flying Bat is a mixed-media artwork I created back in 2010. It was the starting point for a series of pieces in a similar style, some of which I screen-printed using different color palettes. With this work, I wanted to invite viewers to think about an intriguing question: What is movement?

What makes this kinoptic artwork special is the way it creates the illusion of motion. As you look at it, the black bat seems to flutter, expand, or shift. But here’s the fascinating part—if you stare at it long enough and then close your eyes, a white bat will appear in your mind!

Kinoptic designs, like this one, play with our perception, making still images feel alive. It’s all about the clever use of contrasting colors and the precise arrangement of shapes.

Curious about how to create something like this yourself? I’ve put together a tutorial you can check out.

If you’d like to own a print or canvas of Mystic Flying Bat, you can find them here.

Through the Eyes of Insects

Gianni Sarcone

The compound eye is nothing like the human eye, but we often misunderstand how insects see the world. In horror movies, their vision is depicted as a chaotic kaleidoscope. In reality, it’s much more refined—like viewing the world through a crystal-clear glass paperweight. 

What’s even more fascinating? Some insects have vibrant color patterns on their compound eyes that serve a purpose! These patterns act as filters, enhancing contrast to help them spot objects against colorful backgrounds or shielding their eyes from certain wavelengths of light.

Take the Deer Fly and Horse Fly, for example—both flaunt these functional designs. But the Green Lacewing (Chrysopidae) takes the crown for the wildest look. Its compound eyes create a diffraction pattern resembling a sheriff’s star, formed by the countless six-sided “ommatidia” that make up its eye structure.

The Wonders of Compound Eyes

Insect compound eyes are made up of thousands of tiny units called ‘ommatidia’, each acting like a mini-eye. This gives insects a near-panoramic view, perfect for spotting motion and environmental changes. Dragonflies, for example, have around 30,000 ommatidia per eye, making them masters of motion detection.

While human eyes, with their single lens and dense photoreceptors, excel at detail and depth, they lack the wide-field motion awareness of compound eyes. Insects also outshine us in speed, detecting rapid movements crucial for survival.

Many insects see ultraviolet light—something humans can’t. This unique vision aids in finding food, communication, and mating. Compound eyes are a brilliant mix of structure and function!