In my work “No title,” I reflect on the theme of status symbols. What defines us? Our preferences, our social roles, or the things we cannot live without? Initially, I didn’t plan to emphasize the aspect of decapitation, but as I contemplated the narrative of Lukas Cranach’s “Judith with the Head of Holofernes”I realized that the act of severing the head as a loss of individuality becomes more visually compelling. In this series, I explore how what we consume eventually consumes us. Judith, deprived of her head five centuries later, becomes a symbol of what happens when humanity is stripped of its unique consciousness—reduced to an existence defined solely by external forces.
Mass culture does not require vibrant individuals. It guillotines them without actual decapitation. Now, I find myself increasingly drawn to comparisons with moral castration. When there are countless psychological and even physical eunuchs, there’s no need for a nuclear arsenal to create a well-groomed, obedient biomass.
I am deeply intrigued by the question: What does the average modern person strive for? If you have any thoughts or comments, please feel free to share them.
