Illuminated Advertising Design, 2021
- installation
(…) the best Utopias are those that fail the most comprehensively.
– Fredric Jameson, Archaeologies of the Future
The shape of the work alludes to illuminated advertising signage, or more precisely to their remains – skeletons resembling abstract sculptures that somehow retain a trace of their old utility. Devoid of their original function, the dynamic shapes act as a reminder of failure, evidence of the unpredictability and uncertainty of every human endeavour. The more promise an ad or sign carries, the more disappointing it becomes when only a skeleton is left behind. The radiating shapes resemble rays or leaves. The question is, What did it originally promote? What was its function? The lack of any data other than the trace/outline irritates and provokes a compulsive search for meaning or resemblance to a previously seen logo or pictogram. Through the unfulfilled promise of success, glamour, euphoria and vitality, the Illuminated Advertising Design resonates with the motto of the 19th edition of SURVIVAL – You Ain’t Going Nowhere, while symbolically and aesthetically merging with the fabric and history of post-industrial facilities.
