MYTHOSIS (2020)
swan egg, varnish
8 x 11 x 8 cm
In some of my works, I deal with how plants and animals are categorized as “native” or “invasive” and how these categories are often re-assessed due to unforeseen consequences. The swan, as a symbol of classical beauty, has been introduced to certain areas merely out of aesthetic considerations.
As it is known, the Trojan War was caused by the beauty of Helen, hatched from the egg Leda laid having been impregnated by Zeus in the form of a swan. Less well known is a certain method that is used to prevent the “overpopulation” of swans by making hatching impossible. Removing the eggs from the nest would only force the swans to lay eggs again, so the employees of national parks leave the eggs in the nest but paint them over with airtight varnish that prevents them from developing.
The fertility rite of egg painting is thus transformed into a population control process. In Mythosis (using an egg shell obtained from a nature conservation institute), I experiment with the cultural-historical and material aspects of this method, the possibilities of the porous surface and the shiny lacquer.