A vocabulary for the future: touch

The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona has unveiled the latest installment in its "A Vocabulary for the Future" series, featuring American theoretical physicist and feminist theorist Karen Barad reflecting on the concept of touch.

This series pairs influential thinkers with filmmakers to explore a chosen word through both written and visual mediums. The aim is to present familiar language in a new light, fostering a deeper understanding that could contribute to a more thoughtful future. The latest edition brings together Barad's musings on touch with visuals by Barcelona-based digital artist Blanca Rego.

Barad begins with a classic puzzle from physics: touch, as we commonly understand it, never truly occurs. At the atomic level, what we perceive as contact is merely electromagnetic repulsion between atoms that never make direct contact. However, Barad shifts the perspective using quantum field theory. If matter lacks a stable, self-contained identity and is inherently entangled with other matter from the outset, then touch is not a failed meeting between separate entities. Instead, it becomes a fundamental aspect of what matter is.

The collaboration between Barad and Rego results in a captivating visual experience. Rego's artistic interpretation, paired with Barad's exploration of touch, transforms an everyday concept into a portal to profound questions in physics and philosophy. The series invites viewers to reconsider the ordinary and find new meaning in the familiar.

Barad's work draws partly from their 2012 essay, "On Touching—The Inhuman That Therefore I Am." The essay delves into the nature of touch, questioning traditional notions of contact and identity. By integrating insights from quantum field theory, Barad challenges the conventional understanding of touch as a simple interaction between distinct bodies.

The visual component of the series, crafted by Rego, complements Barad's written reflections. Rego's digital art provides a mesmerizing backdrop to Barad's words, enhancing the viewer's engagement with the philosophical and scientific themes. Together, they create a compelling narrative that encourages viewers to see touch—and by extension, the world—differently.

"A Vocabulary for the Future" continues to push the boundaries of how we perceive language and its role in shaping our understanding of the world. By exploring touch through both scientific and artistic lenses, the series underscores the interconnectedness of knowledge and the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue.

The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona remains committed to fostering such dialogues through its innovative series, aiming to inspire viewers to think critically and creatively about the language that shapes their reality.