Skeleton / Self-Portrait 20
- 2012
- 18 karat gold, ebony, glass
- 50 x 20 x 300
Power and value of the relic
The veneration of relics has a rich history in both religious and non-religious contexts. It is always the question of where the power of the relic lies. Is it in the material? Or is it the worshipper (the viewer) who attributes intrinsic power to the object? In other words, doesn’t the value held by the object or artwork unfold only in the mind of the viewer?
Personal and collective value
Normally, the relic itself does not represent material value. It is mainly in its shell, the shrine. In Skeleton / Self-Portrait 20, I reversed this: the relic (the humerus) is made of pure gold, an exact copy of my upper right arm made with the help of a high-tech CT scanner.
By using three kilograms of gold, a material to which great value has been assigned by the collective, I ask the question of where the value lies. Is this relic still about personal value or is it overshadowed by a system of collective value assignment?
The veneration of relics has a rich history in both religious and non-religious contexts. It is always the question of where the power of the relic lies. Is it in the material? Or is it the worshipper (the viewer) who attributes intrinsic power to the object? In other words, doesn’t the value held by the object or artwork unfold only in the mind of the viewer?
Personal and collective value
Normally, the relic itself does not represent material value. It is mainly in its shell, the shrine. In Skeleton / Self-Portrait 20, I reversed this: the relic (the humerus) is made of pure gold, an exact copy of my upper right arm made with the help of a high-tech CT scanner.
By using three kilograms of gold, a material to which great value has been assigned by the collective, I ask the question of where the value lies. Is this relic still about personal value or is it overshadowed by a system of collective value assignment?
- Skeleton
- - Skeleton / Self-Portrait 20