Border deals with a contradiction: on one hand, it is a fence that marks boundaries, encloses, or keeps intruders away, while on the other hand, it plays with the gesture of an embrace, expressing closeness, affection, comfort, or connection.

Border questions the concept of inside and outside – the interpretation of the work is dependent on the personal experiences of the viewer. Experiences of boundaries and fences are connected to questions such as: Who is allowed to enter, and who is forcefully kept out?

Contrasts such as humor and melancholy, softness and hardness, accessibility and exclusion become palpable. The work is deliberately ambiguous, offering space for interpretation. It provokes due to its associations with the politically charged issue of border-drawing while also reconciling these tensions through its materiality and physicality.

The work Border was displayed at the Kunstverein Freiburg as part of the group exhibition „And if we stand still long enough“ in the context of Regionale 25. The exhibition reflects on personal and collective feelings of powerlessness and helplessness. It addresses the urgency to break out of states of standstill, the struggle with feelings of impotence, and the desire to bring about change.

Text: Marilena Raufeisen
Photos: Marc Doradzillo

fabric, fiberfill, steel chains, hooks 150 x 100 cm (2022)