“Doubling was actually the first idea.” This is how Matias Faldbakken describes the premises of his contribution for the Peep-Hole Sheet, a text that becomes – in his words – “ ‘abstracted’ but somehow clearer at the same time, since everything is repeated: more obvious and more obscured. Moreover, in this way the text taps into ideas of seriality, a theme that is recurring in my work.” (The artist in conversation with the editors, 14th September 2010). Starting from the title, we don’t realize whether do we find ourselves in a ‘real’ narration or in a fictional ‘situation situation’, exponentially brought to its extremes as the only possible response to the “21st century anomie”. Influenced by the experiences of post-World War Two experimental literature, Faldbakken mixes up different levels of narration, bringing up a sharp, though mediated, questioning of contemporaneity.

Matias Faldbakken (Denmark, 1973) lives and works in Norway.

Peep-Hole Sheet is a quarterly of writings by artists. Each issue is dedicated solely to one artist, who is invited to contribute with an unpublished text whose content is completely free in terms both of subject and format. The texts are published in their original language, with accompanying translation in English. Peep-Hole Sheet is meant for those who believe artists are catalysts for ideas all around us, and who want to read their words without any filter. Over time it aspires to build up an anthology of writings that might open new perspectives for interpreting and understanding our times. Peep-Hole Sheet is published and distributed by Mousse Publishing.