Marcell Lombaard
Artist Catalogue
Virtual Exhibition
Fleeting Remnants
Fleeting Remnants is, at its heart, an intimate journey through my own history. This project emerged as a poignant exploration of memory and its fluid, ever-evolving nature.
This endeavour began as an extension of my third-year project, Dark Room, where I ventured into an experimental fusion of medication and crystal chemicals. These materials, when combined, birthed delicate crystalline formations that soon became symbolic of the transient, ever-shifting essence of existence. It was in this experimental journey of photography that Fleeting Remnants was created.
Through this body of work, I sought to encapsulate the essence of memories in states of perpetual flux. The photographs of my past, translated into cyanotype prints, underwent a profound metamorphosis when immersed in crystal solutions. These alterations, ranging from bleaching to chromatic shifts, serve as a visual testament to the intricate dance between preservation and transformation. Yet, beyond the aesthetics, Fleeting Remnants is a profound reflection of absence, distortion, and the elusive concept of “home” and family relationships. The power that memory possesses to change and evolve, becoming mere remnants of my past where these fragments collect dust and become distorted. By presenting these crystalline-encrusted memories on floating shelves, I invite a tactile, intimate encounter. Each photograph becomes a narrative of memory, a story of significance accumulating over time. The piles of photographs become objects to observe and interact with. ‘Paging’ through my past that is barely legible.
Complementing the photographic facet, the introduction of memory boxes brings viewers closer to the fragments of my personal history. Encased within these boxes are home video recordings, each sealed within an environment that offers only a limited, distorted perspective. It is an exploration of how we encapsulate and compartmentalise our pasts, acknowledging that these memories are sometimes elusive, hidden within the recesses of our minds. These assemblage environments blur the boundaries between reality and projection, embodying memory’s liminality. Incorporating memory boxes alongside the crystalline facet of my project introduces an additional dimension to the overall experience. Together, they form a symphony of sensory encounters, inviting viewers to not only witness but to participate in the ephemerality of memory.
Engaging with these relics of my past, I become both artist and observer. The act of confronting these images is akin to encountering them anew, finding myself a stranger to the person frozen in time. It’s an uncanny sense of detachment, a delicate dance with the ghosts of my past. Fleeting Remnants is not just an artistic endeavour; it’s a deeply personal excavation. It’s a journey through my history, a dialogue with the fragments that shape my present. Through this project, I aim to create a contemplative space for encounters with my past, inviting viewers to reflect on the fluidity of their own personal histories.
Fleeting Remnants is my testament to the power of art in processing and understanding the complexities of our pasts. It’s a reflection of my own evolution, an intimate conversation with memory.
The sands of time do not preserve, but rather sculpt our memories into new forms, forever changing their contours.