Interne_7 Lies Caeyers

 

 

Based on a vast collection of packaging material and the writings of a.o. Roland Barthes, Lies Caeyers (Leuven, 1982) takes off her residency with an investigation into plastic, as a substance, as a cultural concept. Plastic can be considered as a highlight in the history of human dominance over nature. It’s an invention that emanates from an almost divine urge for transformation and imitation. However, this sublime product soon degenerates into the prosaic realm of household consumption. It has ultimately become a synonym for ‘fake’, ‘kitsch’, ‘rubbish’ and symbolises throw-away society and pollution.

This supernatural produce of a superhuman aspiration clearly is a paradox. It raises question about ‘the sublime’, ‘perfectibility’, ‘emptiness’ and calls for experimentation.

“How could plastic be disconnected from its common usable features? Can it recapture its magical status? Could it function as a mere generator of atmosphere, free from connotation? Would it be possible to even imitate plastic?

Caeyers examines how she can construct a testing room which, by means of the sophisticated use of minimal materials, lighting and layout, holds a paradoxical ambience. She’s looking for ways to subject a visitor to certain contradictory emotions.

Is it possible to make silence quieter? To make a certain chill even colder? How can a certain atmosphere give rise to peacefulness or indifference on the one hand and restlessness or vigilance on the other?