Her work aims for spatial as well as thematic deconstruction, reflecting a nomadological approach. Most of her works are rooted in an exploration of dynamics—for instance, what enables social structures to emerge and persist.
Detmering lives and works in Berlin. She has delivered lectures at renowned galleries, foundations, and universities, including the Krupp Foundation in Essen and Berliner Kunstverein. Her work has received multiple awards and has been exhibited internationally at institutions such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Berliner Festspiele, the Kunstmuseum Bochum, and others. She has also been the recipient of numerous grants and prizes.
APORIA
HD Video / endless duration / 2020
02:51 min excerpt
APORIA is a virtual world and negotiates the sociological processes of closed and open societies. Above all, „Crowds and Power“, a work of Elias Canetti has become a significant influence on the work. The behavioral dynamics analyzed in the book are transfered to 30-60 individuals with their very own artificial intelligence (AI). They inhabit the world of APORIA in the form of human avatars. Through complex algorithms, these AI‘s are able to explore their environment and decide on individual actions. A part of them is acting more close-minded and tends to build walls or to act according to a strong order principle. The other part tends to be open and moves more unlimited. All ‚subjects‘ meanwhile follow daily human routines until the moment when a ‚disturbance‘ in the form of a stranger appears - on which the inhabitants of the virtual world can react differently. Groups are formed, and leaders appointed. The dynamics coming into force now are the central topic of this work.