inhale. deflate
Basic information
Project Title
inhale. deflate
Full project title
inhale. deflate - Deflateable, Photography and Text
Category
Regaining a sense of belonging
Project Description
The artwork explores the depths of human emotions, as well as it raises the question of how much we can empathize the perspective of another human being. It brings up the question of social isolation and how to deal with it in art, but yet also how to communicate it to someone else, who has barely felt this feeling before. How can we grow together and have more compassion for each other? Art may communicate emotions in a very direct and intuitive way, as well as in a total metaphorical way.
Geographical Scope
National
Project Region
Austria
Urban or rural issues
It addresses urban-rural linkages
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
Through presenting inhale. deflate to a wider public by exhibiting this artwork at the Angewandte Festival 2023, I found out, that many people perceive and experience this artwork in various ways. By interacting with it, and being deflated, a lot of visitors felt embraced by the vacuumed plastic foil. And therefore I asked myself, how does this comply with my work? I figured, that people rather feel embraced and sheltered than isolated in the foil. And then I discovered another facet of this whole experience. I wondered, if it is the personal freedom to choose, whether to be inside or outside the foil, that makes these different experiences. And what would it mean, to not have this freedom of choice? What would it mean to people if they cannot choose to be outside of the foil. What if they would feel entrapped in it? Would it still be pleasurable for them? I mean, I never wanted to make the visitor feel uncomfortable with my artwork. And I didn’t want to force social isolation to them. In the end I figured, that the whole artwork including the postcard and the photograph and the text I wrote, people do get the whole experience, and through the comfortable moment in the vacuumed plastic foil, they were open to perceive the photograph and read the text, and reflect on their experience with the artwork. Through many talks with the visitors, I gained a lot of insight on the human perception and emotions and therefore felt a lot of compassion and empathy from them and for them. All in all I would describe inhale. deflate as a wholesome experience for the visitors, but yet for myself as well.
Key objectives for sustainability
In my previous work Town, Country, River… I vacuumised natural artifacts in a transparent plastic foil in order to create a display to slow down and watch their decay. While these artifacts are dissolving in a decelerated way, the question is whether to put them back to the place where they were found. A photograph will witness this „homecoming“ of the artifacts to their original place of being, but with a plastic „shelter“ around them in order to separate them from their origin. inhale. deflate was just the next step on this artistic journey, to make this whole experience possible to be perceived and felt by human beings.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
By using a material, that shapes itself very organically to the shape of the human body, people were able to perceive and feel themselves hugged and held by the plastic foil.
Key objectives for inclusion
inhale. deflate is an artwork that explores the depths of human emotions, as well as it raises the question of how much we can empathize the perspective of another human being. It brings up the question of social isolation and how to deal with it in art, but yet also how to communicate it to someone else, who has barely felt this feeling before. How can we grow together and have more compassion for each other? Art has the superpower to communicate emotions in a very direct and intuitive way, and at the same time in a total metaphorical way. It asks questions while leaving all the answers to the beholder. It is unique, universal, independent and individual at the same time.
Results in relation to category
I had many warm hearted conversations after people's interactions with the artwork. The experience war described as feeling embraced, held, sheltered, hugged. The people who voluntarily interacted with my work, were all happy, and felt transformed in an emotional way, and no-one would have wanted to miss the opportunity to be part. Some people even came back and wanted to have tis unique experience 3-5 times. Some people asked me to hug me as well, in order to thank me for the possibility of the experience.
How Citizens benefit
inhale. deflate was shown in multiple exhibitions and art fairs since its production finished in June 2023 five times over summer 2023. A lot of people came in contact within and described it as a form of transformational experience which was unique and individual as well.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Innovative character
The innovative character is visible in the reaction of the beholders. Every talk after the interaction with the artwork brought me to the conclusion, that inhale. deflate is something people never seen or experienced in that way, and especially in art, before.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
Media art, sculpturing, sewing, welding, fine arts, mechatronics.
Methodology used
A life size deflatable is controlled by a button, which turns on an off a vacuum cleaner and through the under pressure it produces, people inside get embraced by the plastic foil around them, and are able to breath through the blue tube at the same time.
How stakeholders are engaged
The whole process of generating and creating inhale. deflate was supervised and feedbacked from two artists, Maja Smrekar (SLO) and Wolfgang Fiel (AUT), in the framework of a lecture at the digital art class at the University of applied arts in Vienna, where I will study one more year from now on. This process was really inspiring and a very helpful and enlightening experience. The feedback sessions were scheduled once a week and I was showing my progress of inhale.deflate each week. This journey was detailed, and besides working hard I had to deal with my own vulnerability in order to make this artwork come to life. In the realization of the work I got help from Ursula Klein (AUT), who produced huge inflatables for various artists and theater productions.
Global challenges
It gives the possibility for people to have a glimpse of how to feel wholesome and therefore there might be no need to bring our inner conflicts to the surface anymore, and be able to communicate in a better and more sufficient and empathetic way in the future.
Learning transferred to other parties
The whole artwork can be transferred and exhibited anywhere. The plastic foil is foldable and 0,5x0,5m wide when folded. And the tubes and the vacuum cleaner are together in a bag which is about the same size. I need to install the piece, wherever it is intended to be shown, and the set up time is about 1/2-1h.
Keywords
social isolation
empathy
compassion
feeling wholesome
individual experience
