The exhibition Verdunklung/Darkening was inspired by the Berlin-based magazine Starship. Just as the magazine makers, the exhibition makers asked artists to deal with the phenomenons behind the notion Verdunklung/Darkening.

In doing so, the artists deliberately obscure symbols. Verdunklung describes a general doubt about speakability. The world is made up of phenomenons and what keeps it together lies beyond spoken language. This is how it seems. One is supposed to learn read symbols and to listen to stories. Someone can only describe what he sees – but there is a blank space, a Verdunklung of meaning.

The notion Verdunklung describes a trend in contemporary art, that focuses on the ambivalence of visual symbols. Even Platon wrote about the unpreciseness of transcribed communication: One can never be sure about the effect of written or visualized communication on the recipiant. For that reason, it is advisable not to put essential meaning into these forms of communication but to leave blank spaces.

Starship is being published by artists Hans-Christian Dany, Martin Ebner and Ariane Müller. The core topic of the magazine – Verdunklung/Darkening –  will be transferred into the exhibition. The exhibition is divided into two parts that represent verbal and visual Verdunklung.