Traces of Passage
Inspiration and Context
;)
Artwork 1: Rita Renata Veres - Notional State of Existence, 2023, Wall-hanging sculpture. 500 x 40 cm Machine sewed used tea filters, white cotton thread. Installation view.
This experiment builds upon a previous project I developed during my BA course. My earlier
work involved creating imaginary realms that blurred the distinction between human and
non-human entities, challenging Aristotle’s concept of Hylomorphism and its hierarchal view
of Nature. In Notional State of Existence (2023), I repurposed herbal tea filters collected
from local restaurants into fabric like materials and tapestries, advocating for a socio-cultural
sustainability and an ecological mindset.
work involved creating imaginary realms that blurred the distinction between human and
non-human entities, challenging Aristotle’s concept of Hylomorphism and its hierarchal view
of Nature. In Notional State of Existence (2023), I repurposed herbal tea filters collected
from local restaurants into fabric like materials and tapestries, advocating for a socio-cultural
sustainability and an ecological mindset.
Through the installation of these fabrics, I aimed to suspend them like bodies in motion – playfully coursing through space, navigating dimensions of ascent and descent. This
approach invited viewers to fully experience their multifaceted forms, walking around, beneath and within them, stepping into a world of alternative possibilities.
I discovered a profound harmony between this work and the vapes, both inhabiting the same space yet offering distinct sensorial experiences. While the vapes aimed to embody motion and transience, celebrating the playfulness and musicality of communal resonance within our spiritual existence, the suspended fabrics aimed to engage the
olfactory senses, capturing fleeting moments where time and space interlace. Together, they create and ‘existential elsewhere’ offering an alternative vision of reality – a
shared space where collective and personal histories converge, inviting deeper reflections on our entangled, interconnected and magical humanity.
The audience’s interactions with the work were deeply inspiring. Many were drawn to gaze upward, as though looking beyond the constraints of the physical gallery, their
attention shifting towards an expansive elsewhere.
Some feedback revealed how the lightweight fabrics came alive in response to movement- whether from a passing viewer or the breeze of an open window. These fabrics
swayed and danced, transforming the gallery space into a scene of constant motion, — a playful, joyous celebration of life itself. For me, this interplay felt like a hopeful ode to
the magic and wonder of our shared existence.
approach invited viewers to fully experience their multifaceted forms, walking around, beneath and within them, stepping into a world of alternative possibilities.
I discovered a profound harmony between this work and the vapes, both inhabiting the same space yet offering distinct sensorial experiences. While the vapes aimed to embody motion and transience, celebrating the playfulness and musicality of communal resonance within our spiritual existence, the suspended fabrics aimed to engage the
olfactory senses, capturing fleeting moments where time and space interlace. Together, they create and ‘existential elsewhere’ offering an alternative vision of reality – a
shared space where collective and personal histories converge, inviting deeper reflections on our entangled, interconnected and magical humanity.
The audience’s interactions with the work were deeply inspiring. Many were drawn to gaze upward, as though looking beyond the constraints of the physical gallery, their
attention shifting towards an expansive elsewhere.
Some feedback revealed how the lightweight fabrics came alive in response to movement- whether from a passing viewer or the breeze of an open window. These fabrics
swayed and danced, transforming the gallery space into a scene of constant motion, — a playful, joyous celebration of life itself. For me, this interplay felt like a hopeful ode to
the magic and wonder of our shared existence.
Bibliography
Keller, A. (2014) ‘The Scented Museum in The multisensory museum: Cross-disciplinary perspectives on touch, sound, smell, memory and space. Edited by Levant, N. and
Pascal-Leone, A. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 167-175.
Stevens, H.M. (1999) The myth and magic of embroidery. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. pp. 11-19.
Stevenson, J.R. (2014) ‘The Forgotten Sense’ in The multisensory museum: Cross-disciplinary perspectives on touch, sound, smell, memory and space. Edited by Levant, N.
and Pascal-Leone, A. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 273-283.
Ward, J. (2014) ’Multisensory Memories’ in The multisensory museum: Cross-disciplinary perspectives on touch, sound, smell, memory and space. Edited by Levant, N. and
Pascal-Leone, A. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 151-163.
Pascal-Leone, A. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 167-175.
Stevens, H.M. (1999) The myth and magic of embroidery. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. pp. 11-19.
Stevenson, J.R. (2014) ‘The Forgotten Sense’ in The multisensory museum: Cross-disciplinary perspectives on touch, sound, smell, memory and space. Edited by Levant, N.
and Pascal-Leone, A. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 273-283.
Ward, J. (2014) ’Multisensory Memories’ in The multisensory museum: Cross-disciplinary perspectives on touch, sound, smell, memory and space. Edited by Levant, N. and
Pascal-Leone, A. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 151-163.