Contingent Agencies

Overview & Synopsis

Contingent Agencies is an interdisciplinary artistic research project by Alex Arteaga and Nikolaus Gansterer that explores the dynamic interplay between human and nonhuman forces in shaping atmospheres. At the intersection of art, philosophy, and science, this book delves into how material and immaterial agencies co-create the conditions for perception and presence. Rooted in phenomenology, enactivism, and new materialism, the project uses diverse methods of notation, documentation, and reflection. The publication combines textual contributions, diagrams, drawings, photo series, sound recordings, and video stills—blurring the boundaries between artistic process and scientific inquiry. More than a static publication, Contingent Agencies is supplemented by an extensive online archive and invites artists, theorists, researchers, and curious readers alike to engage with the investigation and contribute to its evolving discourse. It is an open-ended invitation to experience and participate in a new way of thinking about space, relation, and emergence.