178,5 hestehode

Polyester canvas, Digital print on 550 cm x 119cm 4 pcs

In 178,5 hestehode, exhibited at Festa Kraftstasjon in 2022, I explore the concept of scaling up the traditional abacus—a tactile tool for understanding mathematics—and its relationship to the human body. Installed between the power plant's windows, the printed textile interacts with the architecture, weaving through the space much like the beads on an abacus move with the touch of our hands. The abacus, as a physical object, invites bodily interaction to facilitate understanding, bridging the gap between abstract thought and the tangible world.

The installation not only engages with the idea of bodily learning but also examines how we connect to our environment. Just as the abacus helps us make sense of numbers through physical engagement, the placement of the textile between the windows reflects how we inhabit and navigate architectural spaces. The industrial setting of the power plant contrasts with the softness of the textile, symbolizing a disconnect between human scale and the imposing structures around us. This tension reflects a broader sense of alienation that often comes with our modern, constructed environments—spaces that are rigid and unyielding compared to the fluidity of human experience.

178,5 hestehode considers the role of the body in understanding and interpreting the world around us. The textile, in its scale and placement, transforms the windows into frames through which we perceive both the space inside and the world beyond. It invites the viewer to consider how we interact with the physical objects and environments that shape our perception, drawing attention to the alienation that can occur when architecture imposes its own logic on our embodied experience.