Circle of confusion (2025)
Photography series in collective exhibition
"At the moment when a lens is directed at an object, we can conclude that it is the subject of the observer's interest. What if such a moment can shift and appear both unclear and evident simultaneously. The photographic term Circle of Confusion refers to optical principles where objects appear sharp and legible to us, although we may be deceived by the characteristics of our often imperfect vision. Using camera and scanner, I traversed places and recorded them, playing with what constitutes a captured image, whether it is natural, or whether I construct its naturalness myself through chosen working methods. I employ error in my work as an intentional moment, sometimes without my intention, sometimes with a clear idea of what the captured image might become. This utilizes the ambivalence between a technically constructed image based on the principle of artificial light under perfect control of an uncontrollable object and the artificial image of a portable scanner, where the generated image is a precise transcription of reality subordinated to specific technology creating unpredictable results."
"The title Circle of Confusion refers to a photographic phenomenon where light rays passing through a lens do not converge at exactly one point, causing the image to appear blurred. This principle symbolically references the subjectivity of our perception – what we see as sharp may be technically blurred from a technical standpoint. Artists employ this motif as a metaphor: they direct the viewer's attention to moments where the apparent and non-apparent intertwine, revealing new layers of meanings and forms. The boundaries between clear and unclear are variable and often dependent on our perspective.
The eye, like a camera, focuses only on a certain point. What occurs outside this center of interest remains blurred and dependent on our ability to infer meanings. Even in ordinary vision, the eye is compelled to contend with contrasts of light and adapt to current circumstances. The exhibition examines this principle as well. The displayed works – photographs and spatial objects – are the result of intuitive searching and exploration. They represent artistic openness and a desire to experiment. The artists question when and why we perceive certain phenomena as clear or unclear, while simultaneously opening space for our own interpretation."
Magdaléna Nešněrová, curator
