Bell (The Alcove Project)

Bell is part of my series Spring, dedicated to the trauma of witnessing caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine. In this series—and in Bell specifically—I use metaphor to explore the complex and ambiguous influence of the past on the present and future. The black skeleton of a house looms like a ghost, a haunting memory of loss, sacrifice, or separation. Yet, where only ashes remain, the possibility of growth persists. As the future unfolds, an essential question emerges: What will grow from destruction, oblivion, and loss—and can we shape this growth? How can we feed it?

Votive offerings, found across cultures and religions, represent a softened form of sacrifice—a gesture of gratitude for miracles or a plea for healing. Beyond their traditional meanings and diverse forms, I see them as a means of communication, both with oneself and with the world. I invite participants to share a story, memory or wish they want to preserve in time, like an insect in amber. This story—whether sad, cheerful or deeply personal—should be something that resonates in the present, something that "disturbs" in a meaningful way. It may express gratitude or embody hope for what is yet to come.

The object “Bell”, as the central figure in the composition, is the image of my question to the participants: what do we have now, what have we experienced, and what are we grateful for and what do we hope for, so that in the future, despite the traumatic past, the world around us will be kinder? This project is about communication, about building a community where the traditional act of offering a gift bridges the internal and external.

As the artist, I will translate these stories into images and then into physical objects. Over time, the space surrounding Bell will fill with these offerings, just as the sky reveals stars as darkness falls. Since participants entrust me with their thoughts and time, I wish to reciprocate their generosity. At the project’s conclusion, each participant may reclaim their votive gift. In this way, the final installation will be fleeting, existing only once—yet remaining in memory as a shared experience.