Soul ground in Alsergrund (de: Seelengrund am Alsergrund)
FRAU* creates space A place of crime becomes a place of remembrance
‘FRAU* schafft Raum is a hybrid of a place of remembrance and art. Since December 2023, exhibitions by contemporary artists* on the topics of femicide and violence against women* have been shown here regularly, focussing on solidarity and empowerment. The exhibitions can be viewed around the clock and thus contribute to the visibility of these socially relevant core issues. The former tobacconist’s has become a place of crime, but now it is to be a place of remembrance that also offers space for discourse and ideas for a fair, non-violent future.’ (Text Homepage)
Project description
In the approx. 2*2 metre room, mirrors of different sizes are mounted at different heights on three sides of the walls; mirrors are also placed on the floor and the viewer can partially see him/herself. This is because every ‘third’ mirror is completely or partially covered with a cloth. There is an LED candle on the outer façade in the round window, see custom description Concept idea.
Concept idea
Each of these mirrors is unique, each woman represents a mirror. The hanging of every ‘third’ mirror is a response to the sad statistics from Eurostat and Statistics Austria (2020 and 2021) that every third woman in Austria from the age of 15 has already experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
The hanging of the mirror is an old custom in Central Europe and is intended to prevent the soul of the dead person from being disturbed in its journey. The open windows of the house are intended to encourage the soul to leave the building and wander into the light. (In the past, candles were also placed in the window).
The compound title “Seelengrund in Alsergrund” comes on the one hand from the place name of the district and on the other from the late medieval philosophy founded and practised by Meister Eckhart (der Seelengrund). In this theory, there is an innermost divine quality in the soul, i.e. the ‘ground’, which he sees as timeless, spaceless and featureless.
The mirror itself shows no advantages or disadvantages, it reflects the other person and is itself featureless.
CONCLUSION
* Have I myself been the victim of physical and/or sexual violence and how do I deal with it?
* Have I already found/recognised my inner soul reason?
What is thought can be forgotten, what is experienced/ internalised remains.