Fractured (or Broken)

The mosaic is composed of small, broken elements—sticks collected around Banská Štiavnica in Slovakia, in the local Arboretum and the university botanical garden. It consists of branches from many unusual tree varieties, such as Japanese red cedar, sequoia, and snake spruce, as well as shrubs and their roots. It forms part of a larger installation currently in progress.

The shape of the mosaic is inspired by a family photograph taken in the early 2000s. I chose this photo because the moment captured is one of the few where I felt that being together with my parents was something good. On one hand, it is an attempt to find a source of strength on a micro-scale—a small, intimate victory—and on the other, a gesture of surrender to the flow of change, where the distance between loved ones becomes insurmountable.

The work was realized during an art residency at Banská St a Nica Contemporary in Slovakia, under the Culture Moves Europe program (Goethe-Institut).