This iteration of the Book & Printed Matter Lab is devoted to the thesis of CalArts curatorial resident Jessica Wawra (Kesselring), which focuses on how individuals interact in social space through the framework of phantasmagoria. Often seen as a precursor to horror, phantasmagoria was a form of theatre that began in the 18th century that used fantastical visual imagery and optical tricks to overwhelm a viewer's senses. Wawra (Kesselring) argues that phantasmagoria and horror are tools accessible by everyone and serve a range of purposes within varying cultural contexts. Digital video games, arcades, the Las Vegas strip, and shopping malls create a contemporary feeling of sensory overload in line with the history of phantasmagoria. The feeling of being overwhelmed with images was—and still is—associated with commodity culture.

Through a program of events and a presentation of selected films and printed matter, Wawra (Kesselring) explores responses to a new form of phantasmagoric aesthetic shock that she calls ‘phantasmagoria nova.’ A model for the post-millennium, this phenomenon confronts viewers like a ‘jab in the gut’ and no longer serves to numb the masses. Wawra (Kesselring) poses the question, does ‘phantasmagoria nova’ provide a call to action to mobilize us, or does it simply disturb us? Wawra (Kesselring)’s investigations will morph each month during her residency, centering on three core ideas: the origins of phantasmagoria, how fictional horror aesthetics can operate in tandem with non-fiction, and finally how ‘phantasmagoria nova’ can dismantle traditional cultural narratives and language.