Opferkessel II

Leila El-Kayem

2020

Opferkessel. The German word for solution basins refers to the concave shapes that develop over thousands of years through the weathering of rock surfaces. The rock’s persistent presence and synchronous absence is a reminder of how a material can perform different stages of matter. Opferkessel, when translated into English can mean “sacrificial basin” – representing the memory of the sacrificed, forever being held within the rock.

Opferkessel II is made from white stoneware and frozen water. The forms are piled on top of each other like a Megalith. It represents the simultaneous instability of the past and its simulacrum present, the memory of its original state melts into momentary present states. The final act is the fall; transitioning between history and its haunting, remaining both a presence and an absence.

Relevant projects