״Any man could, if he were so inclined, be the sculptor of his own brain״ (Santiago Ramón y Cajal, 1852–1934)

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The Residual Impressions exhibition deals with cognitive and affective situations that oscillate between anxiety and serenity and is based on the action and form of the nervous system. The works at the exhibition deal with the impact of emotions on the brain and evoke questions such as: Do we control our emotions or do they control us? Can emotion and thought be channeled by the body? 

 

The performative video SUBLIME ATTITUDES was created under the inspiration of the Buddhist term Brahma-Vihara, which denotes a high universal state of consciousness such as compassion, empathy, balance, and loving-kindness. The work presents manual acts of folding paper that create a sculptural ambience and invite viewers to engage in a performative, play-acting endeavour. Its repetitiveness creates the possibility of unloading one’s conditioning, attaining cognitive openness, and focusing on the current moment.

 

The fragile porcelain drawings, some inspired by the Spanish scientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal, are reminiscent of segments of the nervous system, the retina, and the skeleton. The brittleness of the material forces the artist to focus intensively on the moment of the act because any deviation from it may result in fracture.

 

The video-stop motion I-ME deals with the social anxiety of “I.” It manages her life, accompanying it with continual fear of connecting with people and tumbling into situations of embarrassment or rejection. Uncontrollable sobbing, blushing, and inability to respond to the surroundings are typical of the routine of her life.

The work reflects the fragility of the childlike persona who faces the surrounding world. Her legs and body are barely able to hold up the crimson helmet on her head, within which she hides and is protected from the world. The world is at a time that abounded with violence, apprehension, and fear—the kind of time that encourages social distancing. The figure’s path from fear and pain to emotional coping and self-strengthening allows more forgiving connections of “I” with herself and with the world to come about.

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Curator: Tal Bechler