ECHOES - espace de réflexion
Noémie Käppeli
Myriam Müller
Beatriz Oria Lombardia
Nòmy Collective works at the interface between art, design, spatial practice, society and philosophy. With backgrounds of product design, interior architecture, scenography and interests in cinematography, visual art, social sciences and psychology the collective explores a broad variety of topics in a poetic yet playful way. Consisting of four founding members living in three countries and having diverse origins, positions and motives, they bring their own unique perspective to the design process, merge and create experimental spatial pieces reflecting and commenting contemporary discourses. Their conceptual and contextual approach focusing on site specific interventions offers a unique perspective on human existence and propositions about social issues through architectural installations and spatial exploration. Participation is achieved through purposefully placed gaps that complement and complete the design.
The installation 'echoes' opens up unfiltered spaces of thought, loudly and quietly tells of questions and the unspoken. In their rawness they display vulnerability, fears and emotions without any chronology. In a time characterized by ideal images and self-optimization, the installation creates space for the honesty of being. Inviting visitors to explore intimate introspection among their peers, experimenting with public space as a safe space. Wrapped in translucent materials, they experience fragments of sound mixed with projected text and visuals.
The present time, characterized by instability, leads us to lose our own balance, questioning life decisions and struggling with uncertainties. Rapidly changing technologies influence our actions and thoughts, resulting in a crisis of increased loneliness and pressure to perform a perfect life on social media. As a countermeasure to turbulent inner worlds, we build walls around ourselves, opaque facades, a perfect shell. The idealized concept of ourselves strives towards an unrealistic human experience that is always happy.
The immersive installation helps to deconstruct this delusion of perfection and invites visitors to enter the fragile thought worlds of their fellow human beings. The cloudy construction of translucent paper lulls one's own existence. Recorded texts about insecurities, exposure and thought carousels draw visitors in, inviting them to slip into the structure. Inside, a cohesive seat cushion adorns the back of the room.
As personal as the stories are, the visit should feel as connecting. Encouraging visitors to opening up to mindscapes, allowing their own associations and thoughts to flow in, writing them on an external overhead projector to become part of the installation. Slipping out of one's own skin into a collective echo reinforces being seen in one's own individualism, and yet being part of a whole.