too hot to handle
| Edition | Original Art |
|---|---|
| Sujet | Mythology and Symbolism |
| Technique | Sculpture |
| Height | 30 cm |
| Width | 24 cm |
| Length/Depth | 4 cm |
In this series of works, I use hot glue to explore the themes of fluidity, change and transience. When heated, the material melts and loses its shape – a metaphor for the constant change that Heraclitus also emphasised in his philosophy: ‘Everything flows’ – nothing remains stable; everything is in a constant process of becoming and passing away. Hot glue, an impetuous and difficult-to-control material, reflects the chaotic nature of this change. Just as the glue melts on the canvas and deforms unpredictably, so too are changes in identity and the environment often uncontrollable and chaotic. This volatile nature of the material alludes to the fragmentation of modern life, in which we often find ourselves in a state of constant transformation.
Foucault’s concept of the fluidity of identity – understood not as a fixed essence but as the product of external and internal forces – aligns with this notion of uncontrollability. The work explores the fragility of identity and structure, which are constantly changing and are also threatened by external forces such as climate change. The choice of an ephemeral material such as hot glue, which is not made to last forever, highlights the transience of values and structures that cannot remain stable in a world that is constantly changing.
The melting textures and glossy surface can be read as a critique of false permanence in a world of consumerism and climate change. They remind us that everything – from material objects to social structures – is subject to decay and transformation. In an era of climate change, in which the Earth is ‘melting’, these works become a visual commentary on the fragile, impermanent forms of our world.
Year created: 2024
Isabella Melis
Since 2017 BFA, Fine Arts
Alanus University of Applied Sciences, Alfter, Germany
Awards
2022 German Youth Photo Award “WE_LOVE”
Selected Exhibitions
2019 Group Exhibition, ‘Sound and Imagination’ at Gallery Bernd Bentler, Bonn, Germany
Painting performance
2020 Group Exhibition, “Everything that’s bad for me” Photo + Der Raum, Düsseldorf
Germany
2022 Group Exhibition, “WE_LOVE” German Youth Photo Award at the MAK Museum
Cologne, Germany
2022 Group Exhibition, “WE_LOVE” at the Dresdener Foto Forum, Dresden, Germany
2022 Group Exhibition, “Minimal. Signs and Forms of the Essential'' at Rome Art Week,
Loosenart Gallery. Rome, Italy
2022 Group Exhibition “La Gloria” curated by Revista Balam in Buenos Aires, Argentina
2023 Solo exhibition “Heavy Hearts” at Rotterdam Photo 2023
2023 Group exhibition “WE_LOVE” at Neuer Worpsweder Kunstverein, RAW Triennial
2023 Photographic projection and photo exhibition in the bathrooms of Deseo “La Gloria”
curated by Revista Balam, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2023 Group Exhibition FLASH #10, Decagon Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Publications
2020 Revista Balam Magazine
2020 In my hand’s magazine
2021 F-STOP Magazine issue #109 Landscape
2021 Fragmented Magazine
2022 WE_Love 60 Years German Youth Photo Award
2022 F-Stop Magazine issue #115 partnership
2023 Flash #10, Decagon Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
