ABSENCE - PRESENCE
Group Exhibition
Parallel Hungary Artist Collective
27th October – 9th November 2023
2B Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
The Allegory of the Bubble, exhibited at 2B Gallery in Budapest as part of The Presence and Absence group exhibition, explores the tension between perception and reality. Through a sequence of three photographs showing a bubble seemingly bursting on a distant rod—and a sculptural installation using a balloon, wire, and shadow—the work challenges visual assumptions and reflects on the fleeting nature of existence.
By juxtaposing image and object, presence and absence, the installation invites viewers to question what they see, feel, and believe. It becomes a meditation on illusion, temporality, and the philosophical interplay between being and not being.
THE ALLEGORY OF THE BUBBLE installation, exhibited at 2B Gallery in Budapest, as part of “The Presence and Absence,” group exhibition. The installation explores the subjectivity and objectivity of phenomena in human life.
It delves into what we see and feel as we confront the complex combinations of elements around us. This exploration can be related to the fusion of space, materials, and subject matter in installation art, allowing me to challenge societal norms and provoke thought, engaging viewers on both intellectual and emotional levels.
In this installation, we see three photos depicting the stages of a water bubble bursting in the air near a rod visible behind it.
Spatial illusion and visual error make us think that the bubble has burst due to a collision with the rod on top of the building, while in reality the rode is far behind the bubble.
This coexistence is creating a semantic structure in the audience’s mind. The rod and the bubble are actually several tens of meters apart. These three photos illustrate the formation, presence, and absence of the bubble. This juxtaposition serves as a reminder of the philosophical concept of being and not being.
Adjacent to the three photographs of the bursting bubble, I have installed an artwork metaphorically depicting the moment of the bubble’s existence. To explore this idea further, I used a balloon, a pedestal, and some pieces of metal wire to create a metaphorical image that halts the fleeting moment captured in the photos. By combining the balloon, pedestal, and a glass box, and utilizing shadows, I aimed to initiate a dialogue between existence and non-existence.
This dialogue generates an interesting visual juxtaposition between the bubble photos and the balloon itself, along with its shadow on the wall, reflecting a recurring idea. The concept of “to be or not to be” is presented once through the sequence of bubble photos, and again through the philosophical relationship created between light, shadow, and balloons.
This interplay of elements and ideas creates a layered narrative, encouraging viewers to contemplate the transient nature of existence and the illusions of perception.
