Lightness of being

Referring back to Milan Kundera's novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being, this thesis focuses on the metaphysical question whether or not ‘being’ or ‘existence’ (our human life as we live it on this earth) can carry metaphorical weight, giving life serious meaning. In other words: how can we balance the weight (significance, importance) of our existence with the lightness (fragility, transience) that is present simultaneously? This question prompted an investigation into the existential, conceptual and literal notions of weight and lightness and the way these concepts impact on our life. It has also initiated an essentially philosophical approach to the research involving the exploration of theories of phenomenology and the sublime in the hope of finding a resolution to this question through their application within the field of contemporary sculpture.