2014
Bachelor Mediation ZHdK
Lecturers: Monica Germann, Andres Stirnemann, Gianin Conrad
(Defined) as life mottoes / guiding principles / favourite slogans. A piece of gingerbread wisdom from grandma, for example, words of admonition from parents or phrases from friends. A fragment from a song. "Words" that trigger déjavues or memories, that are nostalgic or speak for a period of life, that accompany.
I am launching a participatory, artistic project in which interaction and communication are of great importance. I collect people's favourite guiding principles at ten different locations. The interviewees write their sentences with a chalk pen on A4 chalkboards. In order to include and record the location of the survey, which creates the geographical and social context, a photo is taken.
The collection of guiding principles and photos are digitised and sprayed through a sieve onto the support. A chalk spray is used for this process, which can be wiped away. The theme of the blackboard, of transience, of wiping away with a sponge, is taken up again in this way. With this newly developed technique, which fits in with the theme, I bring the transience of the guiding principles onto these boards. Time blurs every trace.
With the panels, I want to convey brief moments of pause or provide food for thought by means of life ideologies, longings and visions or guiding principles. My aim is by no means to produce a social study; I exhibit the guiding principles without judgement or prejudice.
By transferring the sentences to the wall panels with erasable chalk spray, my collection is brought from the past into the present. With the additional panel, my work remains open for the future.
I did not choose the Material of the blackboard paint arbitrarily or for aesthetic reasons, but because it takes up the theme of transience, the ephemeral and replaceability. Knowledge has been communicated on blackboards for ages. Guiding principles in turn convey values. Wallboard paint is therefore an ideal medium for my message.
