MM.XXVI

Ding an sich.

In Kantian metaphysics, das Ding an sich, the thing in itself, exists independently of human perception and experience. Kant argued that humans can never directly know or see the Ding an sich. Our mind and senses automatically shape how we experience everything. We only know things how they appear to us — as phenomena filtered through sight, colour processing, spatial awareness, and our concept of time —, but not as they are on their own (or noumena as Kant called it).

Although criticised and refuted by G.E. Schulze and Arthur Schopenhauer, Kant’s distinction between subjective perception and reality lays the ground for this visual essay. These photographs explore our distinct experiences of the world through easily missed details and textures. They trigger the viewer’s cross-modal association, anticipating and simulating tactile and emotional experiences, ultimately examining if one can never truly see and understand das Ding an sich.

Dry fallen leaves in a metal gutter.
Close-up of a metallic sculpture of a dinosaur skeletons, with the Natural History Museum in the background.
A city street scene viewed through a rain-covered window, with blurred lights and buildings in the background.
Red fabric behind window which is partially covered by paint strokes and splatters.
Sunlight casts shadows through metal bars onto a blue door and a tiled floor.
Close-up of a dirty, old window with multiple square panes and a fabric cloth behind the glass, casting shadows.
Close-up of window blinds with sunlight casting striped shadows on a concrete wall.
A red and white striped caution tape on a metal surface.
A ripped poster of wedding dress made of glittery white fabric with snowflake embellishments, flowing behind a bride with sheer tulle fabric on her shoulders.
Close-up of crumpled plastic film with liquid residue on a dark background.
Close-up of crumpled black aluminum foil.
Close-up of thin, dark tree branches, set against a blurred, dark background.
The image shows the reflection of buildings, including a modern glass and steel structure, in a window of a nearby building with a dark stone exterior.
A stairwell with brick steps leading up to a landing, flanked by textured gray walls and illuminated wall-mounted lights, with glass windows and green-colored window frames to the right.
A black and white photo of a window in a brick wall with curtains behind the glass panes.
Pair of white sneakers placed on a concrete ledge in an urban setting with graffiti on the walls.
A reflective surface with vertical ribs, showing a distorted image of orange and green foliage behind it.
Black and white image of a metal vent with diamond-shaped openings, resting on a concrete surface.
Close-up of a concrete sidewalk with reflection that look like flames and shadow on the ground.
Close-up of a blue and white glass with a textured surface and a small patch of a crystal-shaped reflection.
Close-up view of a modern glass building reflecting the sky, with a partial view of balconies and structural elements.
“And we indeed, rightly considering objects of sense as mere appearances, confess thereby that they are based upon a thing in itself, though we know not this thing as it is in itself, but only know its appearances, viz., the way in which our senses are affected by this unknown something.”
— Immanuel Kant, 'Critique of Pure Reason'

// 天と地と