The 1:20 models address means through which remaining historical artefacts that have been deemed worthy for display are presented to contemporary viewers, and the impact this has on addressing the absence of other artefacts. At moments the display systems present viewers with voids, as well as glimpses of themselves in integrated mirrors. The aim is to question the presentation of history as a linear entity and confront viewers simultaneously with the abstract reality of themselves and the abstract reality represented within historical fragments.
Physical works of art evolve physically, symbolically, and practically through time. I have applied this unavoidable practice to the marble fountain in the Benedictine Monastery, which was thought to have been destroyed for decades until it was accidentally found and reassembled. I have developed the language of the fountain, adding a layer to it’s historical narrative. From this I have created a handrail that acts as catalyst for interaction between members of the public with each other and the ruins below. The pieces are plaster cast in order to allude to the idea that they are an impression of the work that preceded them.
Form, materiality, hue and light are combined in a specific way in order to allude to the lost bodies of the acrolithic statues of Demeter and Persephone. The remaining hands, feet and heads from said artefacts were excavated in Morgantina in 1970s. The design of the display system alludes to the site of Morgantina where the lost bodies of the acrolithic statues once existed. The dimensions of the existing heads, hands and feet are projected through a screen to the ideal positioning for the viewer to observe a shadow of the non-existent fragments. Upon viewing the allusion the viewer is also presented with another shadow screen of an artefact created and discovered in the same location but that still survives today. The play between presence and absence highlights the implications of the lost statue bodies.