VERA KOX ((undulating))

About

To conceive the human body as "coral reefs full of polyps, sponges, gorgonians, free swimming macrophages continually stirred by monsoon climates of moist air, blood and veins". With this quotation by Alphonso Lingis, the Australian theorist Astrida Neimanis introduces us to her vision of human existence -- understanding our bodies as bodies of water, containing the potential future and all possible pasts within it. This queer and fluid understanding of our being underlies her concept of "hydrofeminism". In it, she invites us to reconsider our nature, our entangled genealogy, and our understanding of the body as something that is fundamentally connected with the world through the substance of water. We soak up what we could have been, what we could become, or, as she expresses it: "our bodies as carrier bags."

This notion of soaking up or absorbing can also be found in the work of Vera Kox. The sculptural elements and comprehensive installation presented by the artist originate from the series "... into deliquescence", developed in its first iteration for the Kunstverein Reutlingen. The title of the series refers to the chemical process during which solid substances absorb airborne atmospheric water molecules and become wholly saturated. If these substances are exposed to unlimited amounts of water, they may result in total dissolution. For her exhibition at KOENIG2, Kox expands upon the notion of visual as well as metaphorical liquefaction, creating gentle waves and ripples which induce spatial transformation.

In observing the installation, one is struck by the yellowish foam panels, which stand in stark contrast to the glass and ceramic elements. These panels are evidently industrial products. The large black sculpture in the middle of the room, however, is reminiscent of oversized moultings, occupying the imprint of an absent, transforming body. The organic form and texture of the sculpture conveys an impression of flexibility, pliability and transformation, yet upon closer inspection reveals itself as hard, hollow and dry. Similar deceptions arise in other areas in the room: On the wall, large black puddles appear shiny, wet and oozing, when they are in fact completely solidified, as are the seemingly soft ceramic moultings placed in the window display. Kox organises two contrasting properties, softness and hardness, and captures their momentary convergence.

The works of the artist put our perceptions to the test, examining the relationship of differing materials and their textures - whether industrial or hand-made - as well as their associations with each other. Kox interrogates our understanding and relation to materiality and material. Her objects absorb our projected ideas and allow their potential to fluctuate, such that through further observation they constantly change - just like the world, in which our bodies find themselves in a perpetual cycle of transformation.
(Patrick C. Haas, 2022 / translated by Sarah Cormack) 

This exhibition, curated by Patrick C. Haas, is a collaboration between KOENIG2 by_robbygreif, Vienna and Galleri Opdahl, Stavanger.