'kato' exhibition catalogue_EN

The act of observation can be distorted by personal experiences,
leading to a projection of inner expectations
onto what is being observed. Unnoticed observers find
themselves gazing at people passing by, while the latter
overlook them. The unnoticed observers are free to listen
and watch discreetly, capturing glimpses of faces they will
never encounter while waiting in line for an elevator.
In the basement, time loses its flow. Human presence
fades into shadow, and perception collapses, blurring the
boundaries of reality. In an attempt to confine sunlight illusory
openings are created in space, heightening a sense
of futility and paradox. Only the idea of windows remains,
facing desolate views. Street peels lie in heaps, abandoned
before imaginary clerestories, turning them into dark voids.
The absence of light and air transforms survival into a revival
of still nature, meticulously documented. The study
of the decay’s chronicle is, in a sense, a study of life itself.
Reflections serve as indications of emergency exits, offering
potential escape routes both upward and downward. A trapdoor
or an illusion of height creates a spatial distortion. A
suspending corner on a precarious edge that was once a
place of refuge. Any notion of security is disrupted by the
intrusive presence of passersby. Moments of privacy, of
sleep, are put on display. A faint rhythm of breath captures
our attention, but we quickly avert our gaze with a cynical
detachment.
This is how the place becomes an experience and allegory at
the same time. Despite the pursuit of lightful chinks sinking
into the psychological basement is inevitable.