Congregation of Mysteries
About
Amulets, talismans and ex-votos are each ancient ‘technologies’ for protection and the fulfilment of wishes. The works included in this collection question whether these forms can still be used to give agency to users in the navigation of obscure systems regulating their personal devices, and daily lives.
The series of ex-votos depicts themes of the digital realm (e.g. surveillance, mining, data centres) but also asks for specific ‘miracles’ to happen, such as the liberation of Julien Assange, or the growing of a tree from a data centre.
The series of talismans work directly on and in the membrane of digital screens. Symbols used in Mediterranean magic (such as apotropaic eyes, or the mano cornuta) are burned into the plasma and OLED pixels, exposing their sensitivity to deterioration, and producing a Talisman carved out of, or into, a technological device.
Congregation of Mysteries is a work in progress and was initiated during my residency at the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht (23-24)
Congregation of Mysteries, (Amulet #2) Materials: Part of a ventilation system, Thinkpad laptop, apotropaic eyes burning in the screen, flintstone, Roman fire making tool, depiction of the closest observation point on Google Maps to the Agriport Data center; Jan van Eyck Academie 2024
Congregation of Mysteries, (Amulet) Materials: Carved limestone, Motorola phone, 'Mano cornuta' symbol burning in the screen, Trilobite fossil, depiction of Plato's cave, miniature torch lamp; Jan van Eyck Academie, 2024