proximidade
close proximity / / близость

  Installation by  Dasha Sitnikova (Russia)
Castelo de Evoramonte, Portugal 23 September  – 23 October 2014

Proximidade is the name of an installation made of hundreds of paper tubes in which light projection is used to get lines and 3d forms. It reflects the helix form of the spiral staircase of the castle, being the noodle point of this building. 'The great circle' in the centre of the installation is empty but also full of light. It is exactly the centre of the building and metaphorically it is the heart of the castle. As a result of experiments at OBRAS this installation has become the shift point for the artist´ vision on geometry in graphics, on light and shadow relations, and on three-dimensional forms in academic art. Thus, it is the product of collaboration with nature in the tradition of Bauhaus, the shapes of El Lissitzky and the vision of Piet Mondriaan.

The understanding that the human being is a biological substance created by nature is the basics for 'close proximity'. The work investigates relations of the human being with its surroundings, and more specifically the conflicting perceptions of vacuum, emptiness and recognition. It shows us a moment in which we consider our personal future: the sensation that the environment predicts something, but we do not know what it would be. The future is the empty circle. It is floating in a dark space. However, we sense the 'close proximity’ of air, wind and nature. That is why there is light inside this emptiness.

Watch the half-a-minute video clip that she made of her installation.  The  slideshow below gives an impression of her preliminary experiments, a try out in the patio, the making of the exhibition, a photo shoot of her with the installation by Pedro Ferro and a series of photos by Luis Branco of the installation during the opening of the exhibition. 

Dasha Sitnikova studied Design on the Helsinki School of Economic and currently works in Moskow, Russia as design business manager at Design Depot and as artist specialized on execution of the human self-perception under special conditions of environment. She is co-founder of several non-profit public art projects.

The exhibition is produced by Foundation OBRAS and hosted by DRCALEN (Direcção Regional da Cultura do Alentejo). PR support was given by the Municipality of Estremoz.