‘World Works’ is my autobiographical archive that spans the first sixty years of my life. It is a project where I collected and combined memories, photos, letters, art projects, and material from the internet to create a visual representation of my experiences and interests. Through this work, I aim to raise questions about the transience of time and the evolution of consciousness from 1953 to 2013.
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While everyone’s story is unique, there are common elements that connect people through shared human experiences, societal perceptions, political events, news, and cultural influences. ‘World Works’ explores these elements and attempts to interweave them in a visual and narrative journey through my life. The process of working on this project began in 2011 and was completed on December 31, 2013, in celebration of my 60th birthday. Throughout this period, I delved deep into my archives, took photographs, scanned documents, and incorporated images from the internet and films. I created over 1200 analog collages, which were then photographed and digitally arranged. Four collages were consistently merged into larger compositions. The final outcome of ‘World Works’ consists of more than 300 digitally printed collages, each measuring 61x95 cm. These collages serve as a chronological archive and display my aesthetic preferences. They provide viewers with a glimpse into what deeply moves, fascinates, and provokes me.
I want to share these creations with others and invite them to join me on my personal journey and the connections I have made with the world around me. ‘World Works’ is a tribute to life itself, to the richness of experiences, and to the power of art to tell stories. It is my way of leaving tangible evidence of my existence and engaging in a dialogue with the audience. Recently, I read the book ‘The Years’ by the French writer Annie Ernaux. In this book, I recognized so much of what I created in my project ‘World Works.’ On the back cover of the book, it reads: ‘This book is a collective autobiography of our time.’