Works for a Cosmic Feeling is a collection of photographic works using the scientific and philosophical instruments to explore what Romain Rolland described in 1927 as an ‘oceanic feeling’ in a letter to Sigmund Freud – referring to the immersive feeling, being at one with the universe. According to the Taoist principle of the ‘valley spirit’, Barile’s works follow a number of trajectories endeavouring to behave as a complex system. His work is like a stream of consciousness, an immersive journey in the making, and interconnectivity, enshrining transformation over time as part and parcel of the work itself.
Barile’s works are an effort to examine, connect and depict a different level of the real world – within the limitations of the photographic means – whether he is observing how forest branches and leaves organize, how a two-D surface breaks into the third dimension, or the attempt to recreate the structures built by animals.
Inconsistency and imperfections are not seen as faults, but as key ingredients of evolution. Evolution is compared to craftwork creatively transforming materials and pre-existing ideas, unlike an engineer who follows the steps of a pre-established plan. Barile’s approach speaks to a vision of the world where change and imperfection are not just inevitable: they are essential to both the creative process and evolution.