Fiction Re-constructed

Abstract

The author explores the cultural consequences of the supposed disappearance of time and space as materialized and tangible dimensions of social life. She agrees with Paul Virilio, that time and space have disappeared as meaningful dimensions of human thought and action. Since January 1993 on the ground floor of Apartment No. 12 in the eastern part of New York's Soho the exhibition Salon de Fleurus has been open. Salon de Fleurus is a staged remake of one of the most significant collections of modern art from the turn of the century, created by the American authoress and literary critic Gertrude Stein, with the help of her brother Leo Stein in their Paris apartment at 27 Rue de Fleurus. By re-reading this specific art project the authoress is trying to develop a »vision machine«, a machine that would be capable »not only of recognizing the contours of shapes, but also of completely interpreting the visual field«.