Imagination and Dwelling in The House that Jack Built

Kamila Drapało

doi:10.18778/2083-2931.14.17

Authors

Kamila Drapało University of Bialystok https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7110-6329

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/2083-2931.14.17

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Keywords:

dwelling, imagination, art, ethics, The House that Jack Built, Lars von Trier

Abstract

This article employs a phenomenological and hermeneutic lens to examine the themes of dwelling, creative imagination, and the interplay between ethics and aesthetics within Lars von Trier’s film, The House that Jack Built. The film follows Jack, an engineer and self-taught architect, who pursues his dream of building an ideal home while committing morally reprehensible acts (murders). He documents these crimes using negative photography, turning them into a twisted form of artistic expression. This study explores the convergence and divergence of ethics and aesthetics, drawing on a hermeneutic understanding of imagination and dwelling. It uncovers that creative imagination holds the potential for ultimate hybris, meaning transgression and rebellion against “the great Architect behind it all.” It is a force that supplements human limitations and positions them as original, autonomous creators incapable of dwelling in a shared world. While creative imagination emerges as a force that transcends human limitations, it is also intricately linked to dwelling. It serves as a conduit for personal expression and the ability to bestow and create meaning. It becomes a prerequisite for personal identity, responsibility, and freedom. It is inherently ethical as it facilitates effective communication and the cultivation of praxis within the community. This ethical dimension is disclosed in praxis and culminates there, highlighting creative imagination as an essential human capability that enables care and dwelling.

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Author Biography

Kamila Drapało, University of Bialystok

Kamila Drapało, Assistant Professor at the University of Białystok’s Faculty of Cultural Studies, holds a PhD from ACU, Melbourne, and LUMSA Università di Roma, an MA from the University of St Andrews, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and Università degli Studi di Bergamo, along with a BA from the University of Warsaw. She is a Junior Associate Fellow at the IIH and a member of the Sociedad Interuniversitaria de Filosofia. She is a Certified Spanish translator (Ministry of Justice, TP 23/22) and also translates English, with occasional work in Italian and French. Her research delves into philological-cultural studies and contemporary philosophy, exploring identity, vulnerability, and the role of art and culture in human flourishing. Her latest publication, “The Power of Imagination in The Red Shoes,” appears in Studia z Teorii Wychowania (2023, pp. 295–307). She is working on a monograph, The Art of Imagining: Martha Nussbaum Between Vulnerability and Autonomy.

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