F U R K A _ P A S S
Andematt, 2024
This project was done in the framework of FURKA IN : DÉP 24, 2400 m residency by UCJ ETHZ, Studio Jan de Vylder
Arriving on site, I was overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty of nature. The location of Furka Pass, the building itself, the group of artists, and the given creative freedom seemed like a fairy tale to me. The idea of what could be done during the residency came before arriving there. But I gave it time and space to evolve into something generated more by the place and less by my mind. Before we, as a group, could start the actual work, the outburst of Norovirus caught us. The day most if us woke up seek was gloomy, and cloudy, the build- ing was wrapped in fog, and it was cold and wet. I took a Paracetamol and with sublimed progress of sickness went on working, stretching the lashing strap with ratchet between the two rocks. In my artis- tic language, the use of ropes is an attempt to embrace, and get closer to the object of my admiration. The next day most of us were sick, moving around with difficulty and experiencing all the symptoms of the virus. The whole idyllic setting turned into a hospital. People were lying in their rooms, the few ones who felt better were nursing the sick ones. On the borderline between inability to sleep and delirious dreams, an idea came to me. The army blankets I was initially interested in have a Swiss flag on some of them. If the colors of the flag are reversed, you get a red cross on a white background, a symbol of medical care, a hospital. That's how the final work came about: a piece of blanket hung on the lash- ing straps. One side of it is a compilation of symbols that create an idyllic image: the Swiss flag, a clock chain, a bell that repeats the sounds made by grass-fed sheeps, a postcard landscape. On the other side, the flag turns into a medical cross, and the bell reminds of a hotel, or a hospital, when peo- ple in need ring, the background landscape goes through some works, is excavated. This work is situational. It is perceived from two sides, and the image depends on the stand- ing point of view. For me, this work reflects the experience of landing in one situation and transformation of that situation into a completely new one by a small, invisible force. Both sides were equally beautiful and powerful. I felt connected to the other members of the residency. Caring for each other was as beautiful as the monolithic beauty of the mountains, sky, and sun.