Marina Clemente's Artist Statement
My project delves into the relationship between the conscious and unconscious, the real and the dream. By exploring the Jungian concept of sleep as a gateway to the unconscious, I offer a glimpse into the hidden aspects of the self in our fast-paced, technologically-driven world.
When we fall asleep, we become a kind of object in ourselves - a "thing in itself" in Kantian terms - existing simultaneously as both an object and a medium. Our subconscious mind is a vast and seemingly limitless archive of data, and our perceptions of reality are shaped and limited by our physical bodies, our knowledge, and our capacity for sensory experience.
In this way, my art invites to reflect on the complex interplay between our inner world and the external reality we perceive. It asks us to consider how our perceptions of the world are shaped by our individual experiences and limitations, and how we can begin to unravel the mysteries of our own consciousness to gain a deeper understanding of the world around us.
I use projections as metaphors for the imperfect and fragmented nature of human perception. These "poor" picture-images have passed through the filters of perception and are subject to errors and glitches. As we accumulate more experiences, our perception becomes more complex. Self-awareness is a palimpsest, it grows into myths about itself.
In my work I use personal archives, collected images, and various objects to create a sense of "peeking" into the subconscious. I combine paintings, videos, and projections in a cyclical and repetitive process, creating multidimensional compositions. This technique allows me to express the complex mechanism of self-perception and reflects a rhythmic ritualism of connecting the internal and external worlds.
My art gives form to fragmentary and elusive subconscious images. These images are like quick and looping running line of human thought, impossible to objectify or fix as a whole. The only way to express it is through a passionate and obsessed, dadaist manner.
