Edith Dekyndt — Chronology of Tears
20 Jan - 5 May 2024
Edith Dekyndt’s artworks consider the vitality of matter and the volatility of natural phenomena. Deeply intuitive, her creative method is based upon open-ended experimentation that takes change as the only constant. Focusing on the elemental, Dekyndt draws our attention to what typically stays out of sight, questioning the sufficiency of our perception.
The installation Chronology of Tears (2014) consists of three interconnected elements. The slide projection Static Light reveals bright electromagnetic sparks in the dark, induced by the active movement of a woollen blanket. Charging the space with the sound of static electricity, the video Svalbard depicts the action itself. Filmed in Norway’s Svalbard Archipelago, it exemplifies Dekyndt’s propensity to take inspiration from the spirit of the places explored during her extensive travels. The unique meteorological conditions of the Arctic make it a perfect environment for observing such electromagnetic forces, including the mesmerising phenomena of the northern lights.
The blanket that was used in the experiment completes the installation. On one side it was subsequently coated with a fine layer of copper, a highly malleable metal with high thermal and electrical conductivity. The soft texture of the fabric appears in contrast with the metallic lustre of the copper, endowing the domestic object with sculptural properties. Shimmering in the darkness, as if accumulating the light from the projection, it seems motionless and yet not completely inert. Chronology of Tears invites us to attune ourselves to the material composition of the world in a new way, inciting a deeper awareness of interdependent relations and continuous exchanges all around us.
Edith Dekyndt (1960, Ypres) lives and works in Brussels and Berlin. After studying Visual Communication at E.T.H. in Saint-Ghislain, Dekyndt obtained a Master of Visual Arts at the Fine Arts Academy in Mons. She has held solo exhibitions in numerous museums, institutions, and galleries such as Galerie Greta Meert, Brussels; Bourse du Commerce – Pinault Collection, Paris; Hamburger Kunsthalle; WIELS, Brussels; and the 57th edition of the Venice Biennale, Venice.
