Floating Opera Press, 2026, softcover, 92 pages, 12 x 17 cm
Research-based art has become a defining genre of the century. Through Forensic Architecture, Emily Watlington warns against the dangerous overlap between artistic research and alternative facts. Yet, examining Walid Raad’s work, she makes a case for imagining other realities, describing it as “surrealism for the information age” rather than fake news. The distinction is subtle but profound. As trust in facts declines and authoritarianism rises, shared realities remain essential to democracy. Yet imagining alternatives is equally vital. What is an image maker to do when seeing has so little to do with believing?
