Psi and Anomalous Experiences in Susan Hiller’s Oeuvre

Resumen

Susan Hiller (1940-2019) was a contemporary artist who dealt with topics like PSI andanomalous experiences, and had a pervasive interest in consciousness. Although the subject matterof various of her works is shared with parapsychology, her way of tackling these issues belongs toan area of knowledge that offers interesting contrasts with science. In some of Hiller’s oeuvre thereis a coexistence of experimental framing and openness to whatever may happen, the results are lessrelevant than the experience- which is not exclusively mediated by language- and there is a delib-erate ambivalence. Her intention as an artist was to delve into the cultural unconscious, pointingat overlooked and neglected areas, among which are a yearning for nonordinary experiences andunconventional views on culture. In this article, five of her productions that have to do with psi areshown and put in context, using Hiller’s own words. Related to telepathy, Draw Together (1972), TheDream Seminar (1973), and Dream Mapping (1974) are presented. Dealing with psychokinesis is PsiGirls (1999). An artwork related to psychic automatism is also shown: Sisters of Menon (1972-1979).The degree of self-exposure of the artist, her position towards the subject-matter of her work, thedeeper content of her oeuvre, Hiller’s role as an artist and the epistemic nature of art in relation toreality are finally discussed.