During the last week, I went through some motions that would have made me giveup on my current project. After a moment of thinking about it, I realized that because of what happened lately, it is even more important to go on with the project.
The project “From an orange point of view” addresses the censorship and
depersonalisation of women throughout human history, on multiple layers. The three works that create the installation represent a woman without identity who seems to carry a great burden, and who gradually turns around, gains identity, intention and control. She is depicted first with aluminum, as an object with a defined role, a pressure from which she will eventually have to release herself, and continues by changing to rope in the next two works, as she comes out of the background defined by society, still represented with aluminium in the second work, and becomes who she really wants and needs to be, changing the society with herself in a way that would allow everyone to be themselves. The name of the project may refer to the orange fruit as it is a light motive throughout the project, or to the gravity of the message conveyed that requires an immediate change.
The message of the second work, in particular, is the reason I felt unsure about the project. This work is about healing. About the process of. It is an in between state. That place from which you can move on, but just as well go back to how things have always been. Because it is easier. Because you aren’t facing the unknwon. It wasn’t good, but you know the difficulties and know how to deal with them. You can do this, just like all the generations before you. What if where you are going is wrong. Where you are now is wrong, but at least you are certain of that. Why face consequences and still end up somewhere wrong?
I have seen this recently. Going back to how thing are and giving up your values just to fit in. For your children to fit in. I have been in contact lately with too many people that think that it is pointless to change as an individual because it won’t make a difference if most of the people behave wrong. You might just as well carry on. Why make an effort? How many people think like this tough? Is it fair for me to tell them differently? To bother them in their “bubble of “happiness””? And I don’t mean by harassing them with those ideas every time we meet, but by just putting the idea out there, not directed to them necessarily, just out there. For instance, they are bothered by protests for LGBTQ or women’s rights. Why do they need to hear about this?, they ask. And, yes, they are women. Some interested in the issues with women in Iran, but not carrying for those in Romania. After all this country is hopeless. Change will never happen here. I wonder why…
Therefore, I realized that it is even more important to put out there the ideas of this project, to show it, to speak to people. In a world where we are raised to hide who we are, particularly if we are more educated than others, so we will not be outcasts as children (or even adults), uncool and bullied, and we integrate this idea that our opinions do not matter especially if they are different from the norm. Saying what you truly think is a sign of disrespect. One shouldn’t disturb the calm waters of “normal people”.
Let’s change that!
The joy of creating 