Loom / State

Loom / State, 2021, wood, fabric, plastic, 170 x 90 x 70 cm

The title of the object in Czech is a play on words lost in translation since it denotes both the technical equipment used to produce fabrics (Loom) and the situation (State) of our destiny. The plinth on which this artwork is installed resembles a simple loom intended for weaving or for bobbin lace work. The lace that is made on it refers to the “thread” of human fate, spun by the mythical goddess Moira or her later version represented by three fairy godmothers (Fates).

 

The object itself consists of two parts. The first is the lace woven according to a diagram of the history of mankind or world civilizations, from their beginning to the present – the current state. The second part is a handful of simple wooden figurines in place of the bobbins which are used to make this kind of lace. However, unlike the bobbins, these figurines are not organized systematically according to a fixed order. They are chaotically piled on top of each other like poor, limp puppets. Threads are wound to their fragile limbs, creating the impression that fate is spun by their simple lives only.

 

The point of this object therefore lies in the possibility to contemplate who actually controls whom, whether the fate of the figurine (puppet) is controlled by a higher power or the laws of nature, or whether the figurines spin their own fate through their own spontaneous, unconscious movements. Another possibility is that somewhere there is a puppeteer or a weaver (the Fates) who uses the puppets as imaginary bobbins to spin the web of human destiny.

 

Loom / State, 2021, wood, fabric, plastic, 170 x 90 x 70 cm