Lydia Hannah Debeer

Shedding Skin

Installation: video dyptich with two video-wall columns, 8 min. 14 sec.

Shedding Skin | 2023

The diptych Shedding Skin (2023) gradually permeates our physical space. The elongated, vertical screens compose a layered image of a tumultuous sea, with the waves unfurling like pulsating currents. Positioned opposite each other, the screens invite you to observe differing moments from differing perspectives. It is impossible to monitor both scenes simultaneously. The massive waves, spawned by severe weather, tower above us, the horizon unusually high. The swaying, drenched visuals represent, in a way, the culmination of water that dripped from the mountain snow. The interplay between the intensely moving water and the stationary mountains is laid bare.

Debeer lets us wander through ambiguous spaces that lie between the present and what is yet to come, between transitions teetering on the edge. Just as the gap between speaking and hearing is bridged by the speaking body, her work mirrors the underlying, insurmountable emotional distance to someone else. It embodies a position of passage as expressed by the artist, immersing the viewer in specific situations and settings. Her journey embraces the complexity of existence, entwined with the physical and emotional landscape, inviting the viewer to explore their own internal terrains. There is no puzzle to solve here, only an invitation to feel, experience, and connect. It portrays the artist as someone who aims to construct bridges between media, and between us and the world around us.

Yasmin Van ‘tveld

during soloshow Shedding Skin at FRED&FERRY gallery, 2023