Surprisingly FRA

“I really enjoy working in places that aren’t traditional art venues. I also hold exhibitions in galleries and museums, of course, but I’m particularly interested in how art exists in everyday life and in places that people don’t specifically visit to see art.

Airports are ideal for this because they are places of transformation. You go in to arrive somewhere else. It’s much like a tunnel: you enter at one end and emerge somewhere else. The focus is never on being there, but on moving on. This is precisely what appealed to me thematically.”

“It’s precisely this rushing past that’s the point. Spaces like this are often not even perceived as places at all. I’ve tried to transform these transit spaces into actual places. In other words, places that you notice more consciously and that perhaps convey a different feeling. Psychologically speaking, many of these spaces are more like ‘black holes’. They drain your energy. However, when you experience them as real places, you feel more at ease and engaged – perhaps even a little at home. That makes a difference.”

“These neutral spaces often sap your energy. You sit at the gate and feel as though you’re wrapped in cotton wool. However, when you turn these ‘non-places’ into places, a sense of identification arises. You could say, ‘Let’s meet there.’ This completely transforms the experience, both psychologically and mentally, and even physically. Art can take this a step further by triggering thought processes and opening up new perspectives, not merely being decorative.”

“You can’t control that. Some people will like it; others perhaps won’t. But what matters to me is that it’s different and sparks something. Maybe it will change their perspective a little or open their minds a bit. That would be quite something.”

“If someone pauses for a moment, experiences a slight shift in perspective and boards the plane with a new way of thinking, that would be a truly rewarding moment for me.”