wieki somers: frozen in time

wieki somers: frozen in time galerie kreo, paris january 9th, 2010 to march 20th, 2010

tabouret ‘frozen stool’, 2007 ash-wood and UV hard topcoat image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo

the starting point for ‘frozen in time’ by wieki somers was taken from photographs of a natural phenomenon that struck the north east part of the netherlands on march 2nd, 1987, when twenty to thirty millimetres of icy rain poured down from the sky. the glazed frost brought public life to a complete standstill and produced a layer of ice on everything it landed on: tree branches, lampposts, clotheslines etc., from which drops of ice were drooping. the half-transparent ice connected things in a matter-of-fact and extremely poetic way. for one day the sidewalk, bicycles and trees merged into one, while cars seemed to stick to the streets forever. only one day. when the ice started to melt down trees could continue to grow their blossoms and cars could pursue their course.

the flowering sprigs of ‘frozen in time’ seem to merge with a lamp. the construction of stools hide within a transparent skin and branches bow under the weight of icy layers. the objects look like frozen moments in time. they are well-known in their functionality – lamps, stools, vases – but mysterious in their connections of contrasting elements and their silent appearance.

tabouret ‘frozen stool’, 2007 ash-wood and UV hard topcoat image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo

tabouret ‘frozen stool’, 2007 (detail) image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo

‘ice preserves, conserves, protects, eternalizes. after the ice has melted life continues. a frozen item is still, white, encircled by silence, while within one suspect a vibrant life is waiting for the ice to melt down. a moment in time. a moment within a proces. for ‘frozen in time’ we searched for a material which would have the appeal and the workings of ice. UV topcoat, a liquid resin, is a fluid material in which items can be dipped while kept in the dark. after exposing it to the sunlight the material will ‘freeze’ into a solid hard layer. besides its aesthetic qualities the UV topcoat can bind several elements and strengthen constructions of many kinds. the result is a covered world which uncovers the mysteries that hide within everyday objects.” – wieki somers

tabouret ‘frozen stool’, 2007 (detail) image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo ‘frozen lamp’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo

detail of ‘frozen lamp’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo

‘frozen vase’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo ‘frozen vase’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo detail of ‘frozen vase’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo

detail of ‘frozen vase’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo

‘frozen caraf’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreodetail of ‘frozen caraf’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo detail of ‘frozen vase’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo ‘frozen hog weed table – round’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo

‘frozen hog weed table – round’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo up close ‘frozen hog weed table – round’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo up close ‘frozen hog weed table – round’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo‘frozen reed’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo up close of ‘frozen reed’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo‘frozen lamp’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo‘frozen cabinet’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo up close of ‘frozen cabinet’ image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo general view of exhibition image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo general view of exhibition image by fabrice gousset, courtesy galerie kreo