For her second solo-exhibition at VAN HORN Sigune Siévi chose her beloved, eaely deceased painter Susanne Paesler as a counterpart for the exhibition. In her words:

“Why do I show with Susanne Paesler? I have chosen her, she can not defend herself, she is dead, but I am alive. I hope, or better, I think I know Susanne would have agreed to be part of this. When I met her I immediately asked her if she would show with me. She agreed, but said that she had very little time left – how little, I just realized later.

Susanne’s work immediately took posession of me, so much that I named one of my works “Chambre d’amour”, which refers directly to one of her paintings. This painting by Susanne is in turn linked to a work by Willi Baumeister.
The story with Susanne and me could be called an one-sided obsession, because when I met her first she was already dying, and when I realized this, she already was a shadow.

This impression could provide an explanation for the title of the exhibition “Parade of Shadows”, which is a quote from a poem by Anna Açmatova (“Enuma Elish” or “Dream within a Dream”). At this point I’d like to mention that beside my sculptural work some unreleased video films exist and that I work on an adaption of “Dream within a Dream” since 2005. To my suprise I found the same expression used again in the movie “Inception” by Christopher Nolan.

In her work Susanne Paesler revolves around “drawing marks (signs)” within panting. What is it all about with the marks (tags) in painting? For me all relevant linguistic image and form inventions were made with it. I develop something out of something, which another one has already marked (set as a tag) – in this way a direct connection to the Stone Age exists. The threat of oblivion is always there. Of course that is an important reason for me to exhibit with Susanne. To wrest her from oblivion just for a moment – and me with her.
A picture – it proves that I was there, I have been here. This is what is called a personal note, a clearly recognizable signature, the ‘Signé’ as Susanne said.

The sculptural process, the sculpture itself, goes through my body, as he is the one who eventually creates it. And I work sculptural, because in the end I take something away from the initial material. The material is in conflict with my body, not only because of its consistency, but also due to the technique, which requires processing. So I’m already in the center of the Maschinenraum (engine room), or rather: I was in the engine room and it is increasingly slipping out of perspective.

For that reason there is the neonglass-light, it helps me to put something against it. This light has not only a reinforcing function, it is also in opposition to the natural lighting, against the darkness; it burns, it consumes energy. Electricity is a very important aspect. Although I work with wood, it is reminiscent of plastic due to the surface treatment. It looks like plastic, but it is not. This is my personal involvement with the building materials of Modern Age. I use concrete, glass, plastic, iron and lacquer, all things which do not rot easily. After treatment wood decays much slower, its natural origin is less obvious and the evoked impression conveys: Nobody is ever allowed to touch me again! Looking yes, touching no. Not even to wipe off dust.

I contemplate a lot about the dust, mainly because of the glass, it will get dusty over time. For me dust has a very universal aura. The future owner – already existent in my imagination, though absent and unknown – will have to live with it. To solve the problem, this I’ll leave to you.”

Sigune Siévi 2015

Special thanks goes to the gallery Barbara Weiss for the loan of Susanne Paesler’s works.