Empowerment tools

 

The use of common materials and reycled or found objects ( wood, stone, bone ) reminds of the humbleness of the approach of Bernd Lohaus. The materials create an emotive space that lead to greater poetic, often socially engaged, activist statements. However, the statements never present final answers.

The ( toolbox ) is a collection of objects that refer to different artifacts from different periods and cultures in world history: from early Paleolithic period of Africa and europe, the Renaissance and contemporary cultures. The toolbox and its content, on the one hand reflect the inventiveness and fortitude of humanity, while on the other, also reveal its vulnerability. Those seemingly opposite ‘ingredients’ may have formed, and may continue to form, necessary ‘tools’ for empowerment of the human being. Empowerment that not only refers to a ‘Western’ type liberation- that focuses on bodily liberation – but also on relational selfhood. In this we can recognize De Wolf’s interest in the writings of Martha Nussbaum, especially her writings on human development and ‘creating capabilities’ (empowerment), in which she stresses the importance of the quality of life, human dignity and freedom of choice, above abstracts issues like economic growth.

 

The ‘toolbox’ is a contemplation of how humans around the world communicate, shape their identity and solve crisis. Thus, the work can be invoked in different political and social contexts and in interaction with local, national an international levels, constantly highlighting new insights into micro- and macro-level cultural and societal processes.

 

 

Text Ines Kostic november 2016