Monuments of Grief is an examination of objects contaminated by sad memories. The installation consists of 99 handmade cardboard boxes. Each box contains a sheet of paper with an advertisement text and a ring imprint embossed in the paper. The texts are based on sale ads for (used) engagement rings found on second-hand portals. None of the ad texts seen in the boxes existed exactly as shown. However, none of the sentences preserved in the texts are fictitious. All texts are composed from fragments found in advertisements. The ring shapes embossed on the text sheets are inspired by rings also found in ads mentioned. However, the shapes have been simplified and partially enlarged. The imprints themselves represent the traces and memories that resonate even after the sale of the rings.

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The work is part of my PhD research project at Hasselt University and PXL-MAD School of Arts, Hasselt (BE), which is funded by the Special Research Fund (BOF) of Hasselt University (BOF21DOC04).

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Years: 2022–2023

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