At first glance

Archetypes are objects that communicate their functionality by themselves. They require no instructions, they seem always to have been there and are an expression of the continuity and stability of what we are and do. In the depot, Daphna Laurens discovered an object that appeared not to have lived up to this task. At first glance, it does not betray its secret, remains inaccessible to our understanding or rather camouflages itself as something else. It is only when you take it in your hand and move it that you perceive that it is something as banal as it is ubiquitous – namely a pair of scissors. But an archetype nevertheless.

Process

These metal scissors, a product of artistic workmanship from the 18th /19th century, manufactured and common in the Middle East, are the starting point of Daphna Laurens’ project.