Marisja Smit is fascinated by patterns and structures and often derives her formal language from nature. In addition, she often first looks at what kind of material is available, examines its visual and constructive qualities, and then determines the form and manner of building.
She has created a shape with frames, inspired by the Glass Sponge. This deep-sea organism is in direct contact with the seawater, but inside there isa protected atmosphere. A shrimp lives within this space, together with a life partner. The shrimps lay their eggs and leave them to the current of the sea. Slowly, small shrimp develop and it is time to pick out a sponge before they get too big to fit through the mesh of the sponge. This is how their love life is arranged for at a young age. Together they will be locked up forever, protected from the outside world. In Japan, the dried sponge with two shrimp in it is given as a gift at weddings, as a symbol of eternal fidelity.
For her, this symbiosis symbolizes current reality: “Protection can also be a prison. On the one hand, the corona bubble offers protection against a virus that can easily get out of control. On the other hand, our social system is getting interfered with by the measures. We are limited in our movement, which is precisely what makes us human. By connecting with different people outside a bubble, whatever that is: a city, a country or a legal system, you enrich your world. Movement enables people to make connections, to become a world citizen, to create culture and to inspire others."
This object is made from leftover gold-painted wooden frames, from the discontinued theater initiative “The Stolen Rembrandt” (2000-2020). In this performance in public space, the spectators were part of a game, inspired by Clue, searching through the city for a stolen Rembrandt. The winning team took the painting home, framed in one of these frames.
The empty frames tell the story of all the exhibitions, theater and music performances that did not take place in this confined time.
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