NAME for Pressence
The NAME for PRESSENCE is a multimedia installation where sound, paintings and sculptural objects are organically shaped into one body. The NAME for PRESSENCE forms the first volume of our ongoing collaboration with Czech-based visual artist Dominika Kunzová. This installation was presented in Budweis in October 2023, marking the beginning of this continuing exploration.
Our aim was to create a safe immersive space in the form of a multisensory “sanctuary” exploring a deeper connection with glaciers and their disappearing memory. The installation activated the senses of sight, hearing, touch, and movement, leading to a deeper experience of the present moment. The participants were welcome to walk or dwell in the space and interact with the environment.
ABOUT OUR COLLABORATION
The central part of our collaboration unfolded along the Reykjavík–Budweis axis during June and July 2023, with many of its foundations emerging from our shared journey to Iceland’s East Fjords. From these experiences arose the recurring motifs that continue to shape our work: Glacier, Delta, Massive, Mist, and Shaped by the wind.
During this period, Dominika carried out geological and painting research directly in the terrain, experimenting with natural pigments and found materials such as Icelandic clay, sand, and minerals that later became the basis for her paintings and objects. In parallel, I was recording the underwater sounds of glaciers, deltas, and volcanic rocks, while also documenting Dominika’s process of transforming raw materials into pigments.
During the opening of our installation, Petra Lexová, a local curator, reached out to us with the initiation of collaboration. With the support of Petra, our artistic dialogue continued to evolve into new work Poločas Přeměny, expanding beyond the first volume, developing the motifs of Mist and Shaped by the Wind, and delving deeper into the themes of uncertainty, instability, and the half-time of transformation.
This project was funded by: the Travel Grant by European Capital of Culture - Budweis 2028