Inexplicable, yet a fact. To some, this sentence means absolutely nothing. For others, it is a trivial, meaningless phrase to be thrown into a conversation in any context. However, for some people, it is directly associated with the pseudo-documentary show Необъяснимо, но факт created by the Russian TNT television channel, which examined issues of aliens, werewolves, vampires and political conspiracy theories for three seasons, from 2005 to 2008. The show's content proved to be attractive and influential enough to contribute to the emergence of several television channels in a similar format. Incredible stories of the imminent end of the world and land secretly purchased by the United States on Russian territory are just some of the miracles that can be followed daily via TV screen. Things and events are presented as absolute reality, even though these interpretations may be sorely lacking in everyday common sense. No matter how exciting it is to follow these stories, a dose of critical thinking will instead evoke laughter and a bittersweet smile, together with the realisation that this is just another example of the propaganda of stupidity. There is no point in even asking the question – why does anybody need this?

Taking a step back from the direct content of such shows and forgetting the existence of aliens for a moment, Inexplicable, Yet a Fact examines the social constructions of the 21st century. It is not by focusing on global political structures, but rather by analysing the development of our own local culture that one can begin to understand how many situations and things around us are taken for granted. Just like that, without any deeper awareness.

Participants: Subspatial.xyz (Aleksandrs Breže (LV) and Armands Freibergs (LV))
Curator: Auguste Petre (LV)
Organizer: Riga Photography Biennial in cooperation with Riga Smallest Art Gallery
Image: Subspatial.xyz. Fragment from the work ‘Inexplicable, Yet a Fact’, 2020