2017, Found paper, photographs, pen, ink, gouache, 8 x 8 in. (20,32 x 20,32 cm) each

Concentrates consists of 28 collages depicting acronyms mostly used in digital communication. The common denominator for the choice of letters are their reference to emotional states of the self as well as to feelings that arise in interaction with the other.

The different materials used for the collages, paired with distinct color choices visually capture and reflect the dense emotional meaning that these acronyms hold. The vantage point for this work is rooted in the development of sms culture in which language is condensed and reduced to the common denominator of the acronym.

This series is among my very first ones that engages with language. I created it as I was observing the shift in communication from analogue to digital. Latter is always at the front of new developments. What was striking to me was the fact that I learned that empathy is declining among Western populations. I can not say that acronyms are the reason. However, it is striking to me how with the rise of computing technology and the decline of “time” we began reducing language back to its roots of images and symbols.