Karen Harsbo: DeepSpaceBabylon, 2018-2020
In the Bible and throughout history, Babylon has been used as a metaphor for human decay, and the Tower of Babel, a 100-meter-high pyramid of stairs, became a symbol of arrogance.
A fragile miniature city, made of the finest, white porcelain clay, almost knitted together, on a 3D printer based on her drawings.
The many parts of the work are held together with rods and elastics in a fine, shaky balance act.
The porcelain expresses a refined fragility. As if, the slightest tremor could cause the edifice to crash into gravel.
At the same time, there is something futuristic in the language of form that leads the mind in the direction of man’s search for livelihood and colonization on other planets when the Earth becomes too toxic.
Text by Stefan Andreasen
The work has been part of the outcome of the artistic research project Lunar Concrete done in collaboration with artist Rikke Luther.