One Life

This piece was constructed from vintage photographs of a real person and they recite the story of her life. It’s about a woman who lived reach and wealthy but never had children of her own. She was married to a Greek politician in the island Corfu. In the latest years of her life she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and a year ago she decided to donate all her fortune here and there to friends and relatives and in the end there where only pictures left from her life. These pictures were obviously useless to all the others who received the ‘real thing’ (money, apartments, etc). And this is how these pictures became my property. And I decided to make an artwork with them. Photos are memories.  They are the last thing of property that stays with us to our very end. Memories printed on papers or just in our minds are the last things we keep before death. So this artwork acts as reminder for viewers that money and fortune in the end don’t mean anything. Memories on the other hand stay with you, loyal to the very last moment. Also because there is hidden lighting in this piece , there is the ability to light it , like metaphorically lighting your memories. When a close relative dies there Is a tendency to keep the memories lighted on for a long time, which might eventually end up in burning the light (like damaging yourself when you stay stuck after a loss)

This piece was inspired by the life of a real living person. A woman who is in the final stage of life, suffering deeply from Alzheimer’s disease, and waiting for death as redemption.

These pictures recite the story of her life. She lived rich and wealthy but never had children. In the latest years she donated all her fortune and after everything was given somewhere, there were only these pictures left. The last invaluable piece of property before the end.

How much is left to someone before death?

Fortune spreads, so I guess it’s just the memories that stay with you until your last days. Have it in mind while living.  After death, how much is left? And for those left behind how long do they want to remember? How long will they keep the light on before they switch it off?

No matter how badly you want it, you can’t keep it forever, eventually, it will burn out. You have to let go.

Title: One life.

Dimensions: 195cm x 115cm x 10cm

Weight: 61kg

Year of creation: 2017

Main materials that constitute this piece:  pine wood, crystal glass, plexiglass, led lights, vintage photographs and acrylic paints.

The title labels and the corresponding certification box are lead casted and embedded in liquid glass.

The frame is made from Swiss pine and crystal glass protection.

The handle of certification box is made from dental alloy casting and a real human wisdom tooth (extracted for orthodontic reasons and autoclave sterilized after)

All other teeth structures on certification box are made from artificial teeth on dental alloy castings

Custom handmade leather and cork cases for authentication documents

The signature label on the artwork is a lead inlay in wood and the one on the certification box is a dental amalgam inlay in wood

Certification documents are printed out in Hahnemühle fine art paper 100% cotton 310gsm and wax sealed.

Dimensions and weight of certification box: 48cm x 51cm x 9cm and 7,5kg