Quasihumans' quasilives
- Tonito Solinas
- Jul 30
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 17
Toughts for Moreno's birthday
Quasihumans' quasilives: romanticism about being a contemporary (and non-contemporary) artist
In the mysterious world of mineralogy, quasicrystals emerge: structures that defy the regular and repetitive order of conventional crystals.
Yet they are no less real, nor less precise.
They offer a glimpse into a type of order that exists beyond repetition
and shine "with forbidden symmetries", as stated by Luca Bindi, professor of Mineralogy at the University of Florence, who last December identified the first ‘approximate’ natural quasicrystal formed on Earth in a sample belonging to the UNIFI Natural History Museum.
(Link at the bottom of the post, but it was also mentioned some time ago by Nemesis Magazine)
Quasicrystals are, from many points of view, paradoxical. They are unpredictable and structured in a non-uniform manner.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that, when reading about the strange geometry of quasicrystals, the following immediately come to mind: I immediately think of familiar faces and bodies.
None of us is completely orderly.
We did not grow up in perfectly repeated cycles, nor do our lives follow predictable trajectories.
We exist somewhere between chaos and structure, and we live a quasi-life.
And if humanity really is an abstract and perfect category, I would say that each of us is a quasi-human.
Quasi-humans are not defined by exact repetition.
Their routines change shape unpredictably over time.
Memory projects clear paths and meanings that can only be understood from a certain distance and angle.
The things in life (even the unpleasant ones) contribute to creating a harmony that is not based on repetition, but on resonance.
And everything fits together not according to symmetry, but according to meaning.
Anyone who is even slightly interested in contemporary art knows that beauty lies in this lack of periodicity.
Quasihumans do not have to be consistent to be complete.
Nor do they have to adhere to or be inspired by models to have value.
But they NEED to be together!
Otherwise, they are just rocks wandering in the dark...
Dance in Sardinia reflects an intergenerational community with unexpected meanings and ways.
And in recent years, it has taken a direction that was once considered impossible.
I was getting used to being surrounded by quasi-lives: unpredictable, disordered and – not necessarily – immediately recognisable.
What hope is there at the end of July, with its requests and rallies?
I wish I could see quasilives unexpectedly start shining again, thus disregarding expectations.
Even in Sardinia.
[Link to the article on Luca Bindi and quasicrystals]
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