Anette Becker

Interview with the Artist

The room is separated into a dark and a bright side by seven white and seven black ­pictures. What does this symbolize?

Becker: How the process of seperation procedes, depends on it’s im­portance and it´s cause. Sometimes many steps are needed to go the whole ­distance, some­times few steps are all it takes. This particular work makes seven steps. The instalation is a work incorporating space and the ­exhibition hall itself. The exhibition hall is the ­space wherein the ­process of ­seperation takes place. Only those, who completly cross the room can leave it and enter new rooms, where differnt processes happen. The two opposing sides, dark and bright symbolize a conversation of inner ­voices.

The dark side, lamenting, can’t let go, can’t walk on, can’t accept. At first the bright side may be ignored, but with time it will make it´s ­presence known and the process of taking the last good-bye, of giving the last good-bye will start. Only if both aspects are accepted and ­aknowledged a true sense of “letting go” can develop. The pictures are covered with letters. 

What does that mean? 

Becker: I started with the dark pictures. I had not discover­ed the bright side yet. I wrote down my feelings, my thoughts, hoping to rid myself of something, hoping to move on. But as long as I ­wrote the black ­pictures I could not move. I remained burried in ­sad­ness and stagnation. There was no hope and no progress. ­Suddenly I felt the power of the bright side and I wrote from there. And the lost, the answering side talked back to me. A ­conversation started. By writing on the dark and the bright sheets in sequence, I entered into a communication, ­where both sides had their equal share. At this point progress started. What seemed to be un­changeable, static, without development or hope now had a place to turn to, a ­partner to talk to. An argument began, exciting, emotional, sad. At the end everything had been said, everything had been heard, each side had it’s meaning, it’s dignity. 

You discribe the path as a process of seperation. Where does this process end? 

Becker: It‘s the experience of passing each sheet, receiving it‘s inner meaning, until finally at the end of the row, at the end of the room, in turn­ing around you ­suddenly see both sides. It‘s a ­soothing experience, since balance has been achieved in what has been unbalanced before. Each side has it‘s place, it‘s ­meaning and each side is the truth. To go, to stay behind, to let go, to leave behind – it‘s only possible when you see both sides. The bright sheets have been coated in wax, to symbolically seal their ­contents. They therefore appear shielded, somewhat unearthly, ­since the wax layer ­prevents any shadows ­forming on their surface, which is soft to the touch and gentle, whereas the dark sheets are rough and strongly ­textured. 

What is the importance of this installation, what does it mean to the ­onlooker? 

Becker: My installation means different things to ­different people, It all depends on the ­­person‘s previous experience. Since the ­writing in the pictures can‘t be read ­anymore, the abstract form ­leaves everything open. Each individual‘s inner ­stream can flow. This freedom makes this art important to us.