In our Metahaven solo exhibition, we were showing the latest film by the Amsterdam art collective "The Feeling Sonnets (Transitional Object)" (33 min, 2024). In poetic images, it deals with the possibilities of language and poetry, which, as a translation of something experienced, are always the basis for communicating feelings. It is possible to view this audiovisual poem as science fiction, in which not only interpersonal communication via language and writing is addressed, but also that with artificial intelligence: AI assistants such as Siri and Alexa are already part of everyday life. Chatbots such as ChatGPT promise to be able to solve complicated text tasks based on large databases and large language models - yes, even works of art such as novels and poems. The film focuses on the protagonist One and the voice assistant Companion, while poems by Eugene Ostashevsky and the soundtrack by inti figgis-vizueta carry us through the plot. Ostashevsky's poems also contain a further level of dialogue between the generations, more precisely between father and daughter.

In this event, Metahaven talked about their cinematic approach and show their previous film "Chaos Theory" (25 min, 2021). This film also develops its story less through a conventional narrative thread than through strong, ambiguous images and feelings. "Loosely situated around the two protagonists Y/Z and X, the film unfolds as an exploration of the relationship between mother and daughter, of what is said and what is unsaid, reality and dream." (Kathrin Heinrich, in: Springerin 2/2021) The film screening thus offered the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of Metahaven's art and current issues and to engage in direct dialogue with them.