ONE WALL by Mots | Fresh A.I.R.
- Fresh A.I.R. #4
- ONE WALL
- November 13, 2023
The artist duo Mots (Jagoda Cierniak, Poland, and Diogo Ruas, Portugal) explored the emotional power and aesthetic expression of objects during their stay in Berlin as part of the Fresh A.I.R. #4 residency program. One result of their artistic research is the ONE WALL at Spandauer Obstallee 22 that was painted in March, 2021.
“We live in a world full of objects. Some of these things have deeper meaning for us because they carry stories, beliefs and memories” consider Mots. Therefore, as part of their “Objectum” project, they met 25 people who live in Berlin and asked them to tell their story about an object with which they feel particularly connected.
The people who took part in the project in a participatory way also included residents from the apartment complex for whose exterior wall the mural was planned. The meetings with all participants resulted in photographic portraits of the people with their chosen objects. The photos served as the starting point for a series of paintings and the public mural in Berlin Spandau.
In the mural, all the objects have been transformed into a uniform color scheme and abstract formal language. Among them are shells, a sweater, a toy duck, familiar objects that are easy to identify. Some things are more difficult to recognize, leaving room for interpretation.
The idea of “Objectum” emphasizes that we can create a universal sense of belonging and home through the objects. The artifacts evoke associations that are familiar to many people.
“In times when people are encouraged to focus on the differences between each other, our aim is to find a universal language and use it to create a unique space that is accessible to everyone,” is how Mots sum up their mission.
