Trevira bunting, sequined fabric
550 x 1300 cm; exhibition copy: 395 × 1230 cm
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Vaduz
A shiny golden curtain with countless sequins. The merest breath of air causes it to shimmer iridescently. The sky blue of the rear gently shines through the sheer fabric. Charlotte Moth created the first version in 2009 for the 'Schaufenster' (display window) of the Kunstverein in Düsseldorf. Likewise made of golden sequined fabric, in this case, however, it was a matte dark brown that shone through. Unlike the tenth and final version in Vaduz, it was not possible to step behind the curtain, and the work could only be viewed through the display window. 'This situation made me think about what it meant to see something from just one side. About how something could work with a sense of surface that was both visible (the back wall) and see-through, but tangible (the pane of glass)'. (Charlotte Moth)
The poetic tautological title, taken from a note by the artist Alighiero Boetti from 1965, is at the same time emblematic of Moth's oeuvre. The statement alludes to the fact that at every moment and behind every surface, anything, and particularly anything everyday, can kindle something: a moment of discovery or inspiration. Behind every surface is a direct invitation to visitors to step inside, with Moth literally handing over the stage to those entering. In Moth's work, everything is interrelated and mutually dependent. The principle of the static implies the dynamic, calm implies motion: the main emphasis lies on cancelling a static, material self-conception.
The act of passing through intensifies the reflections of light on the sequins, and when the visitors step behind the curtain they behold a space that was previously concealed by the work. The curtain proves to be quintessentially symbolic, with concealment and revealment being inherent features.
Christiane Meyer-Stoll
"A lot of it has to do with the thinking process. [...] It's about when things are put into action in a certain context. A conversation is a process of thinking; thoughts are being constructed as we speak. So it's about these infinite configurations or possibilities that a conversation might take."
Charlotte Moth
quoted in Jennifer Burris, 'Charlotte Moth. Infinite configurations: collection, space, and story', in: Bomb Magazine, 4. Sept. 2014, http://bombmagazine.org/article/1000206/charlotte-moth (accessed: 3.11.2022)
