Stücke
Appearances
Pretty, average, striking or deceptive, nothing influences our
judgment of our surroundings and the fellow beings that live in it like
appearances. The fact that we rely mainly on our visual sense to
determine the degree of truth behind things explains why we are so
prone to fall for what the rest of our sensory perceptions has ruled
out: a palace that pops up out of nowhere smack in the middle of a
desert, a guiding light on marshy ground at night, a vase or a woman,
anyone? It's safe to say we don't need to be tricked into marrying an
Armani-clad con man to realise that we rely more on what our eyes tell
us than on common sense.
Still, appearances are also highly enjoyable. Even when very little, we already have a penchant for symmetry, for pretty faces and balanced proportions. And everyone who has made it from being very little into his teenage years knows that nothing will ever surpass the importance of looks: The sudden growth of a pimple on an unsuspecting forehead has all the potential for a major disaster. (Go, issue a press release.)
The fun, though, doesn't stop here. In due time, the focus of attention shifts from one's face and its unruly appearance down to one's breasts/buttocks/male sexual organs and their relative disappearance compared to the increasing size of other body parts over the next few decades. To counter that trend, we go to great lengths; a whole industry is built around it. Why, even in death and almost six feet under, our relatives try make us look better than we ever did when still in this world.
To make an appearance, to keep up appearances, to appear out of nowhere, to be of noble appearance, by all appearances, to disappear into oblivion… The word 'appearance' itself is just as ambiguous as our attitudes towards it.
This
time, students, teachers and others (read: 'the authors') will try to
impress you not only with their stunning looks, but also with their
generous insights into the strange workings of our minds when it comes
to the – occasionally unfounded – trust bestowed upon our eyes.
Go and see for yourselves!
Start: 20:15
Admission: 0.50 €
