I am deeply attracted to the concept of clinamen, the fascinating idea that a tiny deviation in the normal course of things can lead to a major change. This resonates deeply with me, both as an artist and as an observer of the world. In the clinamen, I find a powerful metaphor for the creative act itself – a moment when, through a slight movement, thought or expression, the habitual trajectory of perception and reality can be altered.
The clinamen embodies for me the essence of spontaneity and surprise. It represents that unpredictable spark that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, the everyday into something magical. It is in these moments of unexpected deviation that I find the purest essence of creativity.
By integrating clinamen into my artistic approach, I seek to explore and celebrate these fleeting moments when everything can change, where new perspectives and possibilities open up. It is a celebration of the unpredictable and the unexpected in art and in life.
L’Homme qui file
Clinamen
I offer clinamen as an alternative option, a different path to explore. I make it accessible to the public, inviting everyone to experience poetic ‘clicks’ which serve as a starting point for a divergence. Each click is an invitation to deviate from the usual path, to leave one norm to discover another. The result of these deviations manifests itself through my works – whether in the form of paintings, photographs or phygital sculptures. These creations are tangible witnesses of a deliberate desire to create change, to provoke ‘another thing’. They embody the transition from a conventional state to a transformed state.
Neo Valen in his studio – Workshop diary by S. Mortier.
However, in an unexpected and revealing turn in his artistic process, he pauses his creative process. This interruption is not a trivial act, but a deliberate response to an external solicitation: a request for “Sleep” emanating from a simple click.
In Valen’s innovative artistic approach, the user’s click is metaphorically compared to the action of a worker feeding a machine with coal. However, in this digital and artistic context, it is not coal that is poured into the machine, but data – valuable information that is consumed and exploited by digital systems for their own purposes.
This comparison highlights the duality of our interaction with technology: on the one hand, we play an active, almost worker-like role, continuously providing the resources (data, information) necessary for these systems to function. On the other hand, there is an almost exploitative dimension to this interaction, where the system uses this data to its advantage, often without the user being fully aware.
This electromagnetic wave thus becomes a powerful metaphor for the way in which digital systems reward and condition our behavior. It reflects the cycle of instant feedback that characterizes our digital age, where every action is followed by an immediate reaction, creating a cycle of dependence and continuous engagement.