The Ugly Universe

Something has come to an end. The ashes are still drifting through the air, the smoke is still rising from the rubble. The past is placed in its grave during the transitional space that exists before the present constitutes itself and the future begins. «Everything must burn,» Rosa said. And the world was engulfed in flame as though it had been waiting for it to happen.

Naumann’s rhythmic, forceful text charts the path of five characters during the prelude to destruction. Revolution isn’t their intention; they’re searching. How can we act morally or live a good life within a thicket of constraints and circumstances? Rosa appears on the horizon like a fixed star. Her messages spread in snippets as texts and segments of YouTube videos, are linked to, shared and commented on. At last, someone who shows some backbone and poise, who can point us in the right direction. Everything seems logical and viable to begin with: small steps of change will deliver a better world. Then a terror attack blurs the boundaries and anger takes hold. The world is set ablaze almost gently, as if burning it down were like pressing a reset button. Oscillating between utopia and dystopia, The Ugly Universe explores a pressing, timely Zeitgeist and the question of whether a new beginning is possible.