The English word ‚to animate‘ originates from the Latin word ‚animare‘, which translates to ‚bring life‘ to something.
A good example of this original meaning are animation movies, where a stationary picture becomes ‚alive‘ through the optical illusion of movement.
But there is more to it. Each single drawing tells a story, but only if we watch them in succession with other pictures can we start to grasp the deeper meaning of the movie.
I have always been fascinated by the idea that all physical things could contain some sort of ‚life‘ or ‚anima‘, which turns rather ordinary objects into something meaningful that deserves to be treated with a certain amount of respect.
My ‚Play Anima Sculptures‘ originated from the idea of giving new ‚life’ to leftover pieces from my old works that, for me, already contained a meaning or memory.
‚Play Memory Structures’ are in some way a continuation of my ‚Play Anima‘ concept. They combine old pieces from my workshop with objects that were once part of somebody else’s life. Each element, no matter if it was manufactured by my own hands, gifted to me, bought at a flea market, or found on the roadside, has its own meaning and tells its own story, just like a single picture in an animation sequence. But as a part of a ‚Play Memory Structure‘ all pieces can serve as a projection surface for the associations and memories of other people, gain a new meaning as a unit, and become ‚alive‘ again.
