A century ago, the nascent field of quantum mechanics presented physicists with a profound disquiet. The very foundations of what they understood as reality began to crumble, revealing a universe far stranger than imagined. Today, concepts like collapsing probability clouds and “spooky action at a distance” are discussed with a certain familiarity, a testament to how far our understanding, or at least our vocabulary, has evolved.

Yet, the exhibition “Liminals” by artist Pierre Huyghe serves as a potent reminder of the deeply unsettling nature of these quantum ideas. Housed within the cavernous space of Halle am Berghain, a former East Berlin power station now home to a renowned techno club, the show features a monumental video projection and sound installation. Set against a backdrop of concrete ruins, the experience is designed to resonate on a visceral level, shaking the viewer to their core.

Huyghe’s carefully crafted soundscape, derived from the quantum states of collapsing atoms, suggests that fluctuations are the fundamental language of the universe. This perspective challenges our conventional notions of existence. Some interpretations posit that reality itself is not constituted by quantum fields in an external sense. Instead, it is proposed that quantum states actually represent the condition of our knowledge, implying that an independent external world may not exist.

Within this liminal realm, Huyghe depicts a faceless human figure becoming inextricably interwoven with the surrounding landscape. This visual metaphor communicates the profound implications of quantum theory with a clarity that transcends simple articulation, offering a compelling illustration of a reality that exists in the in-between spaces, defying easy categorization.

By Thomas Lewton, Features Editor, London