INFRARED Residency
We present to you Likana Cana and her project This is here which she will develop during her stay at Rezidenca 17.
This is here
The problem, when dealing with a problem, is that we fail to pay attention to what the problem is trying to communicate and we focus on solving it rather than tend to it first. We create an imaginary future which we shield and protect from the terrible and irresponsible present. We spend time and days on making that imagined future safe when in fact, it is the present moment that needs tending. It is the problem that needs understanding. It is the problem that is asking us to sit with it, rather than try to solve it right away. We create an imaginary future place to escape the discomfort of the present, but what good will that escape do, if we escape with a load of unattended trouble? By bypassing the present moment and failing to sit with the problem, we lose our ability to reflect, process, and recognize ourselves as active participants in an interconnected world. Instead of feeling inspired by our responsibility as sentient beings on this planet, we become paralyzed by emergencies and guilt, unable to make a change. The nature of the artworks to be developed in the residency invites us to cut ties with all other temporal relations and solely exist in the now. It requires us to move away from guilt, shaming, and catastrophizing and just be present, because being HERE is a gift and a responsibility humanity possesses, and we should do it justice. In a sense, the artworks here are seen as a service, inspiring an opportunity to be present and deal with our painful emotions, while transforming and re-imagining the residency space as a sanctuary of mindfulness. The slow participatory nature of the works can almost be seen as a ritualistic practice, inviting participants to deal with their own self and their existing relations through being an active part of the works. The greatest gift we can give to the future is by being aware of the present moment.
Who is Likana?
Likana’s personal and professional practice involves exploring possibilities of the mind; finding better ways to relate with ourselves, the planet, others and the present moment. Attention is the medium where the playful and philosophical can be fused and practiced in both artistic and scientific mediums and it is precisely the tool of attention that Likana explores in her artistic and scientific practice. She is a cognitive psychology graduate, a published researcher and a lecturer. Currently she is finishing her PhD in cognitive science. She has a creative background and is currently completing her master’s degree in Conceptual Art. Additionally, she is preparing to publish her first Fluxus art book, which involves inviting the reader to participate in the creative process. Through this collaborative approach, readers discover tools of self-awareness within themselves. She is a published writer and co-director of several music videos. Through blending several practices and approaches, she is interested in inviting us all to be more aware in the present moment.
