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Practice of Interest

Renewing the role of wonder with Natalie Paneng

Natalie Paneng’s practice is a vibrant, embodied exploration. Reminiscent of contemporary clown theatre, here the result of process and play is a harmonious amalgam of feeling, searching, and sharing. A lived practice, Paneng operates as an intermediary between worlds, attuned to the subtleties of her surroundings. 

Blending performance, collage, video, installation, and digital forms, Paneng’s works are not simply pieces to be observed but worlds to be entered into. As was seen in her recent performance lecture with V2 and Studio Quantum, titled The Evening of Iridescence and Interference whether through the lens of quantum technology, art, or science, Paneng invites us to reconsider how we navigate the complex, surreal, and often absurd realities we inhabit.

The first impulse that draws her into a process is an arresting sensation to respond to what she encounters, an instinct that compels her to explore, question, and play. This impulse toward play is not one of obligation but of assertion: giving in to wonder, Paneng allows her curiosity to lead her toward unexpected moments of creation and discovery.

At the centre of this seems to be wonder: the sparkly, elusive feeling that emerges when we confront the unfamiliar, the absurd, or the beautiful. Both a method and a theme in her work, one significant example surfaced during her residency at Studio Quantum, where Paneng delved into the concept of iridescence, a phenomenon of shimmering, shifting light that offers a powerful metaphor for the quantum world.

For Paneng, iridescence is more than a visual effect—it is a way of seeing. The shifting colors of iridescence invite us to reflect on how our perceptions can change depending on our point of view, much like the principles of quantum theory that suggest multiple possibilities and realities existing simultaneously.

This is a feat. The work of questioning fixed perceptions, both in the physical world and in the virtual realms we navigate takes guts. Just as quantum theory challenges our understanding of the universe, the courage to question and shift our viewpoints in both the tangible and virtual worlds demands a deep sense of wonder and imagination.

Read from the outside, the immediate reaction to the position she takes has called forth a thinking that transcends traditional logic, time and space. It is as if to engage with the world as though we are seeing it for the first time. It suggests that we may happen upon a surface beneath, around or above what we have so far perceived. 

Much like improvisation, but different, it involves embracing uncertainty and allowing for moments of transformation. Occupying a space between control and chaos, where no one is fully in charge of circumstances here, the folds and possibilities are infinite.