Gestalt for a museum (of modern art); Adapt. 2018

Gestalt for a museum (of modern art)
This gestalt is based on the mix of characters
in three ‘grand narratives’. Echo and Narcissus,
Alice and The Cheshire Cat from Alice in
Wonderland and Dorian in The Picture of Dorian
Gray. In all of these stories plays the concept of
mirroring a central role. Narcissus in love with
his own reflection. Echo can only echo. Alice
falls through the mirror and meets the Cheshire
Cat who replies in riddles, changes his shape or
color and can partially or completely disappear.
And finally, Dorian Gray, whose excesses and
debaucheries leave behind physical traces in
his painted portrait, but do not affect his real
face.
Echo is in love with the Cheshire Cat. This
in turn is in love with his own reflection.
However, he did not realize that his
reflection is not keeping pace with its
own excesses. The face before the mirror
turns into a “sacred monster”. The face
in the mirror is always enjoyable. The
cries he utters are out of admiration for
repeats itself by Echo. The Cheshire Cat
thinks the mirror is talking back with a
loving voice.
The contemporary museum is - simply put -
mainly in conversation with ‘art’ in the form of
what living artists produce and what is written
about dead artists. The audience is witness to
this dialogue between art and institute and tries
occasionally to throw a word in between. These
words will be heard only if they are a reflection
on this dialogue.