“Fire is an essential element for ongoingness as well as an agent of double death, the killing of ongoingness. The material semiotics of fire in our times are at stake. “
[0]
Donna Haraway , Tentacular Thinking: Anthropocene, Capitalocene, Chthulucene
Lighting up a candle with another candle.
Documenting every 5 seconds when the flame is on one candle
+ candle wax dropping on the floor
We experience a time of crisis. A virus that is not just a treat to our physical health but solitude that infects our minds. My four walls (literally only four) are my only home in which I spend my time in isolation.
But without being able to go anywhere else, there is not much space to breathe. Therefore, in respond to the current situation, I decided to utilize the “ongoingness of the fire” as Haraway writes, and started flame based performative exercises.
Comfort turns into dependency, safety into imprisonment. Like Francis Alys I am walking inside of my room.* Like Klaus Rinke I become part of my furniture being moved around.* And the flame a medium to express my personal mindfulness exercises. Performance and documentation live as antagonists. In the same way I try to control the raging inside while avoiding the spreading outside.
An Exercise that is ephemeral. A process that is continues. An archive that speaks of ongoing.
How to keep a flame alive?
by Celine Caly
Lighting up a match for every day in isolation and walking in a circle
Documenting the walk
Ventilator blowing out a candle and re-lighting it
Documenting from the Ventilators perspective
Lighting up matches over a printer
Documenting the flame with the printer
Lighting up a candle with another candle.
Documenting every 5 seconds when the flame "jumps"
+ candle wax dropping on the floor
Lighting up a candle with another candle.
Documenting every 5 seconds when the other flame is blown out
+ candle wax dropping on the floor
Lighting up a match with another match until the package is empty
Documenting the matches
Lighting up a match until the package is empty
Documenting the sound and documenting the lightening
[1]
Describtion by Tate UK; Francis Alÿs. A story of Deception: room guide, A Story of Deception
https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/francis-alys/francis-alys-story-deception-room-guide/francis-alys
[2]
Klaus Rinke; Boden, Wand, Ecke, Raum 1970
series of physical interactions with the corner of a stark room—centres on space, gravity and the passing of time, and their effects upon the human experience