“The myth of the creator of characters and events is
an inexhaustible source of the fantastic.”
Brion, L’art
fantastique, p.243
XX Fantastic
Myths
Myth is an important source of inspiration for artists who base their
work on fantastical art. Even as art proposes many adaptations of
myths, mythology allows people to reflect on the mediums and contexts
of these different versions. Steina Vasulka retells the myth
of Lilith in a video project. In feminist mythology, Lilith is the
“first free woman,” leaving Adam to discover her own independence. In
Vasulka's video, she dissolves into nature, making it difficult to
distinguish her from the background. The noise prevents us
from hearing the story she tells. The work creates a bridge between
nature, technology, and a symbolic figure of feminism that transcends
history. Lilith's body is nature, but it is also technology. The
fantastic also generates its own myths. Martine Naddam's virtual
characters, Mouchette and David Still, become mythical figures. For
them, the boundaries between reality and fiction, virtual and real,
male and female are obsolete. Anyone can become a character.
Martine Neddam begins her exhibition by saying “I am David Still,” a
statement that is neither true nor false, neither real nor fictional.
These porous boundaries are conducive to the fantastic effect.