VIS MATERIAE
The Thought of Transformation
Transformation is part of everyday experience. Sometimes, when looking at someone we know, we become aware of how much they have changed. This change may manifest itself in the body, in expression, in ways of being, or in relationships with others. But recognizing a transformation also means comparing what we see with what we remember, interpreting the difference between these two perceptions.
Vis Materiae arises from this observation and transfers it to the realm of matter. Through the transformation of the photographic image, human figures are altered by fragments, propagations, and structures that modify their form while leaving their presence recognizable. The body does not disappear, but becomes something different from what we were accustomed to seeing.
Transformed matter thus calls into question the criteria through which we recognize a form. What initially appears familiar may become unfamiliar; what seemed stable reveals new configurations. Thought intervenes in this process, comparing what it recognizes with what the image presents and seeking meaning in the transformation.
The works do not illustrate a predetermined change, nor do they propose imaginary forms for their own sake. They make visible a process in which matter is altered and perception is called upon to reorganize itself. Transformation therefore concerns not only what appears, but also the way we observe and understand it.
In Vis Materiae, thought is the space in which the transformation of matter acquires meaning. The image offers no definitive account of change, but opens up a space in which what we see, what we remember, and what we believe we know continually enter into relation.