Asukas, 2019

Stainless steel

Asukas text associated with the piece in a city without people, what once lurked in the periphery now takes the main stage. Relieved from the totalitarian rule of a human gaze driven by interests and curiosities, needs and wants, the world becomes what it has always been – a stencil for light emanating from the sun. Alleys and plazas, sobered by tranquility, are submerged into a quiet indifference, accompanied only by gusts of wind, sometimes mimicking the sound of a tram, or inviting a sheet of paper with records of some businessman’s account balance or list of transactions for a dance. Without the movement of a gaze, there is no one to give names to anything, the world is mute. However, one couldn’t say that it misses the chatter very much – there are other forms of signs, that are now allowed to signify… themselves. Shapes continue to shape, and forms continue to endure. What was once determined by a human, now rests in between reminiscence and suspense. Among such signs are gleams and reflections that dwell on walls of houses, sometimes visiting the abandoned interiors of cafes. Though they are abstract, they are not without form – they acquire it by interacting with various things. Some of them are short lived, lasting less than a second, just a blip. Others are longevous, sporting a routine of returning to the same place every day, enjoying themselves and their environment which sustains them. And even though they are something, they are nothing in particular. They shimmer like liquid, just enough to be noticed, but resisting any determination. Asukas is one of such signs. Or maybe a sign of such a sign, a footprint and a wave of a hand. A reflection of light embodied in stainless steel it is reflecting the world back to itself like a mirror. Reflecting itself to itself like a monad. It is barely there, but it yet is fully present.