Artwork documentation
'Used | Unused' by Dalma Stift
Artist's concept text: The project ‘Used | Unused’ focuses on the unintended changes of materials resulting from repetitive human interactions.Through spatial observations at the Akademie der Künste (AdK) and the Axel Springer Campus, I documented material and color-based compositions using photography. These visual records serve as a key source for my work. At the AdK I meticulously cataloged material interactions, emphasizing their inherent characteristics and details. The resulting frames reveal traces of human touch — alterations that occur unintentionally. By capturing these nuances, I invite viewers to perceive the building from a different angle, appreciating the subtle shifts in material states.
My approach slightly shifted at the Axel Springer Campus. Here, I intentionally excluded contextual information from my close-up images. The goal was to strip away functionality and focus solely on materiality. Isolating objects by reducing them into mere colors and shapes we can observe their appearances more detailed. This process helped me to refine my aesthetic preferences, emphasizing texture, color, and form, which I wished to represent in my work later on.
Analyzing my spatial recordings, I discovered a recurring theme: the imprints left behind by human interaction. Scratches, scuffs, color changes and broken edges tell stories of use, wear, and adaptation. These unintentional changes ultimately became the main topic of my project. I questioned societal perceptions: What visual cues denote age or novelty? How do we treat old versus new materials?
To illustrate this tension, I curated contrasting materials into a sculptural work. 10 pieces of 60-year-old plastic document folders were used alongside a spotless polyurethane foil, highlighting the passage of time. The exact arrangement of the materials required a hands-on process, which was unplanned and intuitive. I experimented with foldings and layerings using heat to bind the sheets together, which resulted in different color shades and shapes. Through this tactile process, I aimed to convey the reduced aesthetic — the essence — of these materials.
“Used | Unused” invites viewers to explore the quiet transformations that shape our materialistic world. It challenges preconceptions, urging us to appreciate the unintended beauty born from human interaction.
