Maja Sondén

“Walk Slowly, So No One Can Sneak Up on You” is a narrative, visual and spatial experience. It is a hybrid between a book and an installation, where the room itself becomes a physical publication format. In a time of constant distraction, I want to explore art’s ability to situate the viewer in the present, in terms of time, and also in space, in terms of physical presence.

Four immense watercolour paintings of natural physical environments are hung in a parallel sequence. Three of the pieces feature physical openings that invite the visitor to pass directly through the picture plane. A poem laser cut from MDF is layered in front of the paintings to create spatial depth and a tactile encounter between word, image, and body.

The viewer walks through openings, following the narrator through different environments, closely accompanied by their fear of being forgotten.

The storytelling is sensory and inspired by meditation, with bodily instructions woven into the narrative – breathe. Stand still.