2025, A4 Bratislava
Hemžení explores the acoustics of porcelain: interested in its thickness, a variable that affects sound and light. A thin layer of copper—“sensitive skin”—on the stony, unchanging surface of porcelain, reminiscent of cold bones and fossils of organisms, evokes fantasies of living together. Translucent, layered reliefs capture microbes and their life-sustaining activities. We glimpse these entities in the reliefs as if through a microscopic zoom, intertwined across and within dynamic systems. These deep yet flat objects are the main protagonists of the performance and tell of micro-worlds and alliances for survival, of layering, death, and mourning, and of the complexity of connections in nature. They are brought to life by sounds as minute as the invisible activities of microbes, while touches emphasize communication with the surroundings. Electricity flows through the living layer of copper like blood and water.
The exploration of the collaboration among life-forming entities was guided by the writings of Donna J. Haraway.
The artwork was supported by Visegrad fund.
The project explores the technique of galvanization as a mean for adding a conductive copper layer on the porcelain bodies. The shapes are inspired by dynamic forms in nature.
The circuit design was developed by Michal Matiáš.
/porcelain, copper, electric components/
/Joey Nathan Kentin/
manka.lustigova@gmail.com