The Video Essay

According to the dictionary an essay is an »endeavour«, an analytical or critical composition. Its distinctive characteristics are its experimental nature and its openness. Ever since Montaigne’s famous Essais of 1580, philosophy has therefore made use of this method of interpretation, which oscillates between the worlds of art and science. Initially a purely linguistic area of activity, a visual variation is now slowly emerging that has profited greatly from the technical potential of the video. On display at the exhibition are a number of works that use subjective articulation to address the complexity of a topic without ignoring the empirical facts.