We are gut vessels carrying the ebb and high tides of life,

Attached to myriad funnels and antennas,

Sharing water, tears, and personal truths.

We spill. We leak. We seethe.

We are in communion with space.

In the grand symphony of existence, we humans find ourselves as vessels, carrying within us the ever-changing currents of life. We are not solitary islands but interconnected beings, attached to myriad funnels and antennas that allow us to share in the essence of existence. Water, tears, personal truths — these flow through us, spilling, leaking, and seething, as we navigate the boundless expanse of space and time.

It’s fascinating how we perceive ourselves, isn’t it? As autonomous entities, we often believe ourselves to be free from any tangible connections, floating through life with no roots to anchor us. We draw lines around our bodies, marking the borders where one being supposedly ends and another begins, but in truth, we are far from discrete entities. Our physical bodies, as well as the intangible essence of our souls or spirits, are porous, constantly in exchange with its surroundings and perceptive to all whispers of this world.

As tactile beings, we are constantly reaching out, feeling, sensing, and experiencing the world around us. Our senses act as conduits, funneling information from the external world into the depths of our consciousness. Through our eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin, we gather the raw materials of experience, weaving them into the tapestry of our being. These portals between the outer and inner worlds are not merely mechanisms for survival; they are the very essence of our humanity.

Consider, for a moment, the act of listening. Our ears are not passive receptors of sound but active participants in the dance of perception. Through them, we not only perceive the physical world but also imbue it with meaning and emotion. A sound is not just a vibration; it’s a symphony of sensations, a chorus of emotions. In this way, our senses shape our reality, painting it with the colours of our perceptions and experiences.

But what does it mean to be human in a world that often feels disconnected and chaotic? In a society where borders are drawn and wars are waged, where human-made constructs define our existence, it’s easy to lose sight of our place in the grand scheme of things. We float through life, unmoored and adrift, searching for meaning in a sea of uncertainty.

Yet, amidst the chaos, there is beauty to be found. In the connections we forge with one another, in the shared moments of laughter and tears, in the bonds that transcend the boundaries of self and other. We are not alone in this journey; we are part of a vast web of interconnectedness, each thread woven to form the fabric of existence itself.

In my sculptural work ‘Antenna’ (2024), I sought to capture the essence of this interconnectedness, to explore the symbiotic relationship between self and other, between body and space. Through the medium of glass — a material forever suspended between solidity and fluidity — I shaped intricate funnels and antennas, symbols of our receptivity to the world around us. Through different surfaces like the tactile touch of sandblasted glass or mirroring finishes, I emphasise the interplay between the self and its surroundings, reminding viewers of the delicate balance between individuality and interconnectedness.

For the Sound Diaries event, I expanded my exploration beyond the realm of touch and sight, focusing primarily on the auditory experience. The sound recordings ‘Recordings from within the Vessel Being’ (2024) for this year’s open call, focus not only on the self and its surroundings but also on the ever-shifting space in between. The sculptural work ‘Antenna’ (2024) thereby serves as a conceptual representation of this interstitial space. As beings in constant exchange with our surroundings, our bodies act as conduits, translating the external space, its inputs, and vibrations through our senses. Conceptually, our sensory cells function as antennas or funnels, translating the external space into tangible experiences that shape our internal worlds and vice versa. How we perceive these translated external spaces is dynamic and fluid, influenced not only by the external environment but also by our individual histories, experiences, and emotional landscapes.