Mapping Loss – Spaces and Dialogues

Matilda Engelblik
Pretoria

Pins, text, ceramics, blue and white thread, acetate, printing vinyl on canvas, amadeo steel rods, Perspex and wood 10 Part: 220 cm X 150 cm X 170 cm My body of work is based on memory and the spatiality of death and loss. I am obsessed with the absence brought about by the loss of an individual and their connectedness to a specific space. I use an archaeological-archival methodology to map the experience of bereavement. I thus focus on the theory of affect and space within my art practice. The artworks presented are sculptures and drawings made with ceramics, pins, thread, wood, and printed texts.

My work aims to portray the process of grieving in order to comprehend the personal loss that I have experienced. I create a space where viewers can reflect on their own experience of loss by capturing the presence of the deceased in a specific space. I aim to preserve the spatial experiences of the deceased as well as the bereaved, by collecting narratives. Through questionnaires and personal postcards of the bereaved, a detailed description of their presence, in the space where they were confronted with death, is provided. This project became a journey, pursuing the hope of understanding the human fate of death and loss. The thread becomes a metaphorical representation for the ephemerality of memory and the preservation of the specific space of loss. The text represents the deceased individual. As stated by Aleida Assmann (2012:22), ‘space bears memory “through the individual” that occupies it.’ RS Lazarus states, ‘… emotion [refers] to [a] transaction or interaction between a person and environment’ (in Robinson 2004:175-176). These maps are representations of the memories we obtain of those we have lost. My art thus aims to allow viewers to have an affective experience by allowing them to reflect on this space of loss. Through the creative process, I am excavating the location and dimensions of my own loss. In effect, I am carving a space for shared reflection on the impact of a life lost on those left behind and the memories we obtain of those who have departed.

I am Matilda Engelblik, originally from Klerksdorp in the North West Province. I am presently residing in Pretoria, Lydiana, from 2011 up until now. My artistic interest began as a child with frequent excursions to art dealers and having parents as art collectors. Currently, I have completed my BA (Fine Art) degree in 2015 at the University of Pretoria. Throughout my four years of study - being introduced to a variety of mediums and techniques - I have progressed and invested in my own discourse and medium. My body of work deals with the space specificity of loss and death, specializing in video and sculpture as medium. My art is characterized by its subtlety and narrative qualities. Existing mostly of questionnaires and text works that allow for interactivity between art and participator.

My artwork has been exhibited in group exhibitions with fellow students at the University of Pretoria. I was selected as a finalist in the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition (2015). Furthermore, I was a recipient of a Fine Art student bursary presented by the Department of Visual Arts (2015). Exhibitions include *imagetext* colloquium at the Department of Visual Arts’ (2015) at the Van Wouw House, Art Lovers’ 1932 Gallery (2013) and the Cool Capital Biennale (2014) as under the Cushion Collaboration and Reaction, Collaboration and Communication. I was also selected finalist at the National Experimental Film Festival (2013), as well as the Hello Ambassador Design Awards (2014). I have also participated in a commission-based project presented by Anglo Platinum –Kumba Iron Ore Mines in Thabazimbi, Limpopo Province (2012).