Vita et Mors

The Untitled Space is pleased to present: “Vita et Mors” A solo show of works by Indira Cesarine from March 1 – April 3, 2016. The exhibition features limited edition photographic prints from three different series including Papiliones, Ta Prohm, and Barbed Wire (Khmer Rouge Security Prison 21).

The Papiliones series features macro photographic visuals of a variety of butterfly species Cesarine photographed in Costa Rica. Each image is digitally manipulated to present “butterfly blots”, her take on the psychological ink blots known as the Rorschach test. The butterfly has traditionally represented a symbol of rebirth and change, and the viewer is invited to interpret each piece as part of their own personal journey. The current exhibit features several new editions, created in 2016.

The Barbed Wire (Khmer Rouge Security Prison 21) series features images by the artist taken at the Security Prison 21(S-21) in Cambodia, which was one of 150 execution centers where an estimated 20,000 prisoners died during the rein of the Khmer Rouge. The artist stated, “Visiting the site I was struck by the symbolism of the barbed wires that surrounded the prison. To me they represented the essence of cruelty, the barbaric nature of genocide itself, in every spoke of the wire which was used in captivity to suppress human freedom.” This is juxtaposed with her work from the ancient city of Angor, Tetrameles Nudiflora of Ta Prohm (Angkor) (2015) which places an emphasis on the beauty and strength of the environment and the notion of “Eternal Life”, with imagery depicting trees growing out of ruins of the ancient civilization dating back to the 12th century. 

The works exhibited in “Vita et Mors” are part of The Untitled Space’s “Women in Art” series, which features a wide range of contemporary female artists in a series of solo exhibitions and group shows on an ongoing basis.