Empathy attempts to understand and share the feelings of another person/living being.

Artistic and creative methods seek to find forms for perceiving one’s own experiences and thoughts, searching for forms, materials, and an exchange with one’s own in order to make these visible.

Why do we want to empathize with something other than our own, and why do we believe we can? Is it truly possible to sense what other people think, feel, and experience? What do we believe we share? Where does it become apparent that we perceive things differently—what if we understand nothing?

What about empathic aspirations toward animals, plants, and other living beings—or even things, or even artificially created intelligences? Toward whom can one feel empathy?

Why does it confuse us when we consider whether we can or want to achieve understanding and empathy toward things, materials, or calculated entities? Is aliveness connected to the capacity for empathy? What is alive?

The exploration of the central theme of empathy perhaps stems from the desire and longing to understand one another and to connect on a deeper level. Empathy evokes a sense of familiarity; one is not alone, one approaches the other with good intentions. Do uncertain times and perspectives demand this expectation to an even greater degree?

What surprises does the topic of empathy hold, and where would we have to go to uncover them? Could they allow us to experience something that transcends what we have learned so far? Could an oversized cat sculpture open the way to a reality beyond our comprehension? If we asked the cat whether it understood us, would we receive answers? And would these answers be sufficient to inspire artistic expression?

Beate Rathmayr

Photo credit: Otto Saxinger