Beyond Agog
“Beyond Agog”, is a video derived from the artist’s virtual reality project “Agog”, 2021. “Agog” is an exploratory experience in a sublime space with luminous and colour-saturated structures towering above and around, with various perceptual phenomena and sound to explore and encounter. [Details: https://lindaloh.com/portfolio/virtual-reality-experience-agog/]. The works connect to the artist’s research into Neoplatonism and the sublime.
While this video is no substitute for the VR experience, it takes on a life of its own by embodying the transitional experiences of wonder from that speculative,
non-ordinary “world”. Fleeting encounters and shifting views present precarious
moments of clarity between the elusive and ephemeral realms. Light and sound
potentially transport and shift perception beyond everyday experience, and the artist connects these transrational ideas to experiences described by Neoplatonic
philosophers. Neoplatonism is a lesser known corner of ancient philosophy, yet one that has influenced both (so-called) Eastern and Western traditions. Research into Neoplatonism and the sublime validates that Western culture has, despite appearances, long recognised ineffable experiences as an intrinsic part of human psychology. That acquaintance with these experiences could shift consciousness and transform innate behaviour towards the “good” is both culturally relevant and timely.