DOUBLED PRESENCE IN A DISEMBODIED SPACE _____ 11.12.2025 – 23.01.2026

TROST space, Graz, AUT

The exhibition “Doubled Presence in a Disembodied Space” records a state in which form and matter cease to be obvious carriers of meaning. Here, the object exists in material and symbolic registers, and the body and its absence intertwine. The title refers to Gilles Deleuze’s philosophy of difference and repetition, where every manifestation of reality contains its own shadow and vibration. Doubled presence records a continuous oscillation between the visible and the vanishing. Disembodied space becomes a place where the body is preserved as a trace. Material behaves like memory, and the image functions as a symptom. This logic recalls reliquaries and iconographic systems, where the physical presence of a saint’s body fragment confirms and replaces sanctity. Duality manifests in the structure of the exhibition’s visual language. Strict forms conceal emotional tension, turning expression into restraint. Light, material, and line function as instruments of dramatization. Lines are thin, light is unstable, and a resulting instability emerges. The motif of decay and erosion resonates with Georges Bataille’s philosophy, where destruction is understood as a way for matter to return to its intensity. Bone tissue, fragments, and traces become a form of presence that has outlived the body. Visual references to religious art create a sense of sacred repetition. Contemporary work enters into dialogue with iconological memory. The reliquary, enclosing a fragment of the body in ideal form, becomes a metaphor for the exhibition: the physical and the metaphysical are held in a state of tense equilibrium. The exhibition space functions as a laboratory for observing material and visual processes, for seeing how matter exceeds itself and the image preserves the moment of destruction. Doubled presence appears as a mode of existence: to be and vanish simultaneously, to remain a body while becoming an image. Sofiia Yesakova: In her practice, Sofiia Yesakova uses visual strategies that deliberately conceal emotional content within strict minimalist forms, prompting viewers to search for and carefully consider hidden meanings. Her works point to how a “pure” visual language can mask the violence of systems and ideologies. Yet within these schematics, there is a disruption. The lines are too thin, the images too fragile, the materials too alive, as if living imagery interrupts and destabilizes the rigid structures. Here, light is no longer absolute; it cracks, trembles, and loses focus. It deviates backwards, toward the pre-rational, the sacred, the iconological memory torn from its context and placed into a new space. In the works presented, the motif of bone decay (osteosarcoma) symbolizes the confrontation of physical form with human vulnerability. In the series of works Ugly Scenes. Nuances, I engage with the philosophical inquiries of Gilles Deleuze, exploring the concepts of layering, differentiation, repetition, vibration, and the multilayered nature of reality, where processuality and oscillations are the fundamental principles of existence. Contrasts, as an inseparable part of the historical process, structure perception, and my work is aimed at contemplating these oppositions within the context of rigid philosophical and social constructs. Within this framework, I adhere to the theory of "punitive restraint" (Foucault), where concealing the emotional component, seemingly cut by anxiety, becomes an act of control over perception and an attempt to focus on intellectual analysis. My visual narrative draws inspiration from religious symbolism, often used in sacred art, and the strict conventions of minimalism. The fragile vertical lines of the works contrast with contextual elements, creating tension between form and content. Modernity, immersed in anxiety and catastrophization, demands organization, even in the most chaotic reality. Particular attention in the works is given to elements of bone deterioration, a symbol of the confrontation between physical form and human vulnerability, both physically and mentally. Bone erosion serves as a metaphor for inevitable mortality and reflects the eternal clash between decay and renewal. Here, a dichotomy arises: decay gives meaning to life and simultaneously provokes anxiety. Bone is the foundation of the human body, its core, but disorganized bone deterioration destroys this stability, reminding us of the fragility of existence. However, destruction is not an end, but a movement. The decay of the old opens space for the new. Additionally, I use elements visually similar to the works of artist Hans Schwarz, particularly his piece "Death and the Maiden", to create a dialogue that highlights issues that still concern us all, with a 500-year gap. This allows the modern viewer to reconsider timeless themes, despite cultural and historical differences. Anzhelika Palyvoda: Working with the idea of doubling, initially inspired by the architecture of the room, I arrived at a method of “reflection” in my practice, reflecting both on my colleagues’ works and on the environment itself. In Row of Grapes, I begin with a line formed by a row of vertical metal profiles, a recurring element in my work, and move toward splitting this one line into two, forming a passage or a bridgebetween the rooms. Connecting or interfering, this work becomes an unavoidable obstacle in the space, accompanied by a soundscape of distant footsteps that invites the viewer to follow along. The piece imitates a human-designed geometry of vineyards, landscapes shaped into orderly lines that are going a hillside in perspective. A chain of handmade speakers and cables tries to repeat a movement of a weaving plant, in this case the grapevine. The symbolism of the vine is deeply rooted in the story of my family and carries long histories and mythologies within it. This work explores growth, loss, and renewal, transforming industrial structures into sensual experience. The sound, recorded over recent years, functions both as an archive of places in Austria and Ukraine and as a sonic system of transmitting information. It registers presence and absence at the same time, filling the room with a peculiar sense of transformation or transition. Trostspender is directly inspired by the name of the space and by everything contained in the word. Trost, like comfort, support, a quiet strength that appears in moments of uncertainty. The work functions as a “miracle machine,” a simple system in which one can see the immediate result, ones taking their own action. It is designed as a vessel of care, carrying a message of collective solidarity. Subtle and fragile in its form and materiality, Trostspender holds a symbol deeply rooted in volunteer movements, something that offers light within darkness. Though delicate, the piece conveys an idea that feels especially urgent today: compassion, this shared solace and sense of comfort—or Trost—is something immaterial, something that rises above all material conditions, yet always emerges from direct action. Weatness- the weak, saved from decaying leaves, picked up on my way and turned into a sculpture, become preserved witnesses of someone’s steps. Fragile and shy, they hold within them a nostalgia for a summer that has just passed. In the current position of a transistor, I’m glad to share my story from a place of in-between. Aesthetic visualization of violent scenes in different eras traditionally carried a cathartic function, conditioned by eschatological consciousness and collective fears. When encountering images of violence, we face a whole spectrum of emotions that have a "cleansing" effect. This phenomenon can be observed in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, where the tragedy of the individual served as a metaphor for the tragedy of the world. In my works, this interconnection is also evident, linking personal and global tragedy through the language of art. Céline Struger: Following our conversations about pairs and mirroring as expressions of the Uncanny—das Unheimliche in Freud’s sense—I wanted to create a Doppelgänger, or an antagonist,to Sofiia’s Nails. It needed to form a pair and evoke a sense of familiar relation. I chose to reinterpret an older piece of mine, the Coyote Knives. These ceramic objects resemble cutlery, but instead of a fork, there is a second knife. Like nails, knives can be both tools and weapons. In Chris Burden’s Coyote Stories, the narration unfolds like a diary: he describes his stay, the surrounding landscape, and its inhabitants through daily notes and drawings. His encounters with coyotes become increasingly charged. They approach him, appear to seek interaction, and gradually seem to gain agency. In his mind, they begin to steal from him—especially his sharp knives and his wallet. Whether these events occur in reality or unfold only in his imagination remains unclear. I pictured these coyotes, knives between their teeth, gazing back at the artist—and felt compelled to bring them into this show. Placed near Sofiia’s Cross, her Nails evoke associations of crucifixion. As a counterpoint, I imagined my Coyote Knives as surgical tools—objects capable of removing those nails, if necessary. My work Trostblumen (Solace Flowers) is a site-specific floor piece, a water sculpture designed to highlight existing elements of the space. It holds water mixed with phosphorescent pigment and mirrors whatever object or architectural feature stands above it. Over the course of the exhibition, the water erodes the steel surface, releasing orange rust particles that merge with the phosphorescent green. The forms themselves are spiral-shaped, reminiscent of flower blossoms. “Trost” means “solace” in German,and these entities are meant to offer precisely that—catching and emitting the scarce light within the room. Let the Right One In is a piece of furniture by Spanish brutalist designer Sergio Rodriguez, into which I cast two lines of silver. I hand-sanded the wood until it became as smooth as the inside of an arm or thigh, then stained it with black ink to heighten its contrast with the surrounding space. I wanted it to become a deep, silky black. I carved two channels into the seat and cast molten silver into them. Silver is a magical material: it makes images appear on paper, repels evil, and reveals it. This stool is meant to detect dark forces and shadow beings—should they dare to sit. Little Sister is a ceramic wall piece composed of two braided ceramic forms connected to a small head. Its fragility echoes the delicate materiality in Anzhelika’s work, which juxtaposes plants and concrete, and invokes fragile memories that linger in the space—appearing and dissolving in ways we cannot fully anticipate.

Curated by Markus Sworcik & René Stiegler

Text by Markus Sworcik & René Stiegler on the exhibition Black Wall

Exhibition with artists Anzhelika Palyvoda, Céline Struger, Sofiia Yesakova