In contrast to world views that try to escape reality, such as transcendental beliefs or notions of better futures elsewhere, in my master thesis I look for a sense of wellness rooted in an immanent perspective. With this I mean I seek for an experience of spirituality and the unknown within an earthly realm.
As the title (lovingly) references, in the publication I slowly arrive at Spinoza’s philosophy and his views on nature and mystery. I do so by first looking at paintings of the seventeenth century that were critical of new values at the time, when early capitalism started configuring new belief systems. Later, I critically relate these to current virtual reality developments, such as the Metaverse, and I end by sharing how I position myself as an artist, amidst all these reflections.
Throughout the text, I explore the image as a form of resistance and the sense of joy and agency that emerges from questioning dominant modes of representation.