Identità/Appartenenza
La ricerca dell’identità attraverso l’atto creativo - The search for identity through the creative act

Berco Wilsenach

Die identiteit van ruimte - behorendheid tot ruimte

Deur op gereelde grondslag tussen Europa en Afrika te reis en te werk, het ek besef dat die identiteit van die self omvat word in die behorendheid tot ʼn spesifieke kultuur, taal- en etniese klassifikasiestelsel. Dit is slegs binne die kollektiewe norring wat die self gedefinieer kan word deur óf die vereenselwiging óf die distansiëring van daardie groep. Toenemend het ek ook die invloed van ruimte op sosiale strukture en die indentifisering van die self binne fisiese en sosiale ruimtes, waargeneem.

Ruimte word volgens kultuur, tradisie en die fisiese omgewing verskillend geïnterpreteer. Die waarde van oop ruimte sal byvoorbeeld totaal ander betekenis hê binne ʼn Europese en Afrika konteks. Verder is daar ʼn direkte verwantskap tussen ruimte en die manifestasie en plasing van vorm, daarbinne. Fisiese ruimte (of die gebrek daaraan), bepaal die gestalte van kulturele uitdrukking. Dit kom die duidelikste in argitektuur en die visuele kunste na vore en verleen derhalwe identiteit aan kulture ekspressie. Omdat kultuur ‘n uitdrukking is van menslike beywering, word ruimte onlosmaaklik verweef in die identiteit van ʼn gemeenskap. Insig in die manipulasie van ʼn bepaalde ruimte deur die sistematisering van vorm in ʼn gemeenskap, bied dus ʼn refleksie op en persepsie in daardie gemeenskap.

Vorm word nie net voorgeskryf deur fisiese ruimte nie maar ook deur mentale ruimte en word in ʼn voorafopgestelde hiërargie van klas, kultuur, gender, land en selfs halfrond, geplaas. Die massa (beide omsluit in formele en sosiale strukture), word saamgestel deur die individu en word gereguleer deur hierdie hiërargie. Vorm is dus ʼn uitvloeisel van hiërargie van sosiale waardes en ekonomiese stand. Vorm staan in verband met of behoort aan ʼn sekere ruimte en sal uit konteks wees indien dit geruil sou word. Hierdie is nie soseer ʼn formele verplasing as wat sosiale norme dit sou

Die gemeenskap verlang die instandhouding van hierdie hiërargie en sal, na die ingryping van eksterne kragte soos politiese skommeling, natuurlike rampe en oorlog, neig om vorige fisiese sowel as sosiale strukture te herstel en te benadruk, eerder as om die identiteit van ruimte en hulle behorendheid tot daardie tyd en ruimte te herinterpreteer.

Deur die interpretasie en manipulasie van die uitstalruimte, is die installasiediptiek La gerarchia dello spazio (Die hiërargie van ruimte) – Centro della Creatività, Palazzo Ducale, Genoa, 2004, 2 x (2m x 2m x 1,8m) – ʼn interpretasie van hierdie gewaarwording. Dit bestaan uit twee installasies in twee naasmekaarstaande, gelyksoortige ruimtes met lae gewelfplafonne. Eerstens is ʼn magdom vissinkers individueel aan vislyn gehang om die illusie van ʼn omgekeerde piramidale vorm te skep. ʼn Meganisme slaan met gereelde tussenposes teen die struktuur waaraan hulle hang om sodoende in te gryp en die vorm in ossilasie te bring. Dit kom geleidelik tot stilstand net om van vooraf omvergewerp te word. Die tweede bestaan uit ʼn gelyke hoeveelheid wit volstruisvere. Weereens is elkeen individueel geplaas maar die massa vorm ʼn normale piramide met die punt na bo. Dit word intern verlig en waaiers waai met tussenposes liggies daarop om die vaste vorm te verander. Beide ruimtes word verder geaktiveer deur die voortdurende en dartelende spel van skadus teen die plafonne. Betekenis word nie net oorgedra in die manipulasie van die ruimte nie maar ook in die keuse van media wat oor ʼn inherente sosiale begrip beskik.

La gerarchia dello spazio, installazione 2 (foto L. Carretta)
La gerarchia dello spazio, installazione 1 (foto M. Oliva)

Berco Wilsenach

Identity of Space - Space of Belonging

Travelling and working between South Africa and Europe, I have come to realize that the identity of the self is encompassed within belonging to a specific culture, language and ethnic classification system. It is only within a collective mass that the self can be defined - either associating or disassociating with that group. Increasingly I also became aware of the influence of space on social structures and the identification of the self within physical and social spaces.

Space is being interpreted differently according to culture, tradition and the physical environment. The significance of empty space for example, will carry a totally different meaning within a European and African context. There exists further a direct relationship between space and the manifestation and placement of form within this space. Physical space (or the lack thereof) determines the shape of cultural expression, most obviously noticeable in architecture and the visual arts and thus bestows identity to cultural expression. Culture being an expression of human endeavour, space is henceforth intricately intertwined into the identity of society. Understanding the manipulation of a specific space through the systematisation of form by a society allows thus a reflection of and perception into that community.

Form is not only dictated by physical space but also by mental space and is placed within a predetermined hierarchy of class, culture, gender, country, even a distinction is drawn between northern and southern hemispheres. The mass (encompassed in both formal and social structures) is constituted by the individual and regulated by this hierarchy. Form is thus a direct consequence of a hierarchy of social values and economic standing. Form also relates or belongs to a certain space and will be out of context should it be exchanged. This is not so much a formal displacement but rather the predetermined norms of a society that would consider it deranged.

Furthermore, society yearns for the upkeep of this hierarchy and would, after the intervention of external forces like political upheaval, natural disasters and war, tend to re-instate and reinforce prior physical as well as social structures, rather than to reinterpret the identity of space and their belonging to that particular time and space.

Through the interpretation and manipulation of the exhibition space, the installation diptych La Gerarchia dello spazio (The hierarchy of space) – Centro della Creatività, Palazzo Ducale, Genoa, 2004 2 x (2m x 2m x 1,8m) – is an interpretation of this percipience. It consists of two installations in two adjoining, similar spaces with very low, vaulted ceilings. Firstly a multitude of lead sinkers are individually suspended from fishing lines, creating the illusion of an inverted pyramidal form. A mechanism hits against the structure to which the sinkers are attached at frequent intervals, intervening and shaking the stationary shape. It gradually comes to a standstill, just to be disrupted again. The second consists of an equal amount of white ostrich feathers. Individually standing upright, the mass creates a normal pyramid with the apex facing upwards. Lit from inside and with fans blowing at regular intervals gently on them, the fixed form is brought into motion. Both spaces are further activated by the constant and changing play of shadows against the ceiling. Meaning is not only conveyed through the manipulation of space and form but the selection of media carry their own inherent social understanding.

(trad.:dell’autore)