MARGOTS 2, 2025
Diplom Akaemie der Bildenden Künste, München, Klasse Pumhösl
Text Dominik Bais
The cage, an instrument that corresponds to the desire for control, order, and shaping nature according to human ideas, becomes a new form of imprisonment when enclosed in glass. A paradox arises: An object originally intended as an instrument of restriction is now enclosed and becomes the subject of observation. This reversal of perspective shifts the focus from what is normally displayed in the cage—the bird as a symbol of nature and freedom—to the cage itself and its components. The cage is deconstructed as a medium of presentation and questioned in terms of its materiality and function. This nesting of representation levels reveals how cultural mechanisms of presentation can recontextualize objects. The glass enclosure functions both as protection and barrier. It refers to museum conservation practices and societal values associated with the staging and preservation of objects.
