Psi and anomalous experiences in Susan Hiller's oeuvre

Abstract

Susan Hiller (1940-2019) was a contemporary artist who dealt with topics like psi and anomalous experiences, and had a pervasive interest in consciousness. Although the subject matter of various of her works is shared with arapsychology, her way of tackling these issues belongs to an area of knowledge that offers interesting contrasts with science. In some of Hiller’s oeuvre there is a coexistence of experimental framing and openness to whatever may happen, the results are less relevant than the experience- which is not exclusively mediated by language- and there is a deliberate ambivalence. Her intention as an artist was to delve into the cultural unconscious, pointing at overlooked and neglected areas, among which are a yearning for nonordinary experiences and unconventional views on culture. In this article, five of her productions that have to do with psi are shown and put in context, using Hiller’s own words. Related to telepathy, Draw Together (1972), The Dream Seminar (1973), and Dream Mapping (1974) are presented. Dealing with psychokinesis is Psi Girls (1999). An artwork related to psychic automatism is also shown: Sisters of Menon (1972-1979). The degree of self-exposure of the artist, her position towards the subject-matter of her work, the deeper content of her oeuvre, Hiller’s role as an artist and the epistemic nature of art in relation to reality are finally discussed.