Untitled, direct exposure on analogue photo paper, self-made film negative
FOXFIRE
Marta Djourina
Surrounded by darkness, a magnifying lens projects an image onto a 6 metre long wall from a distance of 7 metres. The light passes through the entire space until it falls on the light-sensitive photographic paper. The artist stands between the projector and the projection. Within a few minutes a performance takes place in which she interacts with the light, the movements of her body both defining the image and capturing a fleeting movement. Djourina herself calls this process "blind painting" that happens in a "colour development machine”. In the dark room, light is her material and Djourina is a part of her apparatus: with a light-source in hand, she imprints her trail on the light-sensitive paper on the wall. Her movements are both flowing and thoughtful. Body, consciousness and intuition are highly active. They work in unison and steer the ultimate appearance of the image. This devotional act is reminiscent of that of an action painter or orchestra conductor whose body is temporarily wholly at the service of their work.
by Marie DuPasquier A FINGER ON THE PULSE
In der Werkserie FOXFIRE steht die Fähigkeit von Pilzen Licht zu erzeugen, im Mittelpunkt von Marta Djourinas künstlerischer Forschung: In Glasträgern kultiviert, wird das Leuchten der Pilze in einem analogen fotografischen Prozess eingefangen. Das ausgestrahlte natürliche grüne Licht verwandelt sich auf der Oberfläche des lichtempfindlichen Papiers in Explosionen der Komplementärfarbe Magenta.
Marta Djourina, Foxfire, 2021
