Grace of hunger

Exotic wood, pine cones scales, resin
“21st Century” collection

Size: 95 cm x 62 cm x 115 cm (Height, Width, Depth)
Weight: 5,5 kg
Berlin 2019

– Motivational state of disambiguation – Unable condition of sustainability – Humanitarian aid of non-humanity –

This sculpture stands as a haunting symbol of resilience, its form evocative of a praying mantis poised in a moment of both grace and desperation. Its intricate body is adorned with countless small, shell-like elements, each a testament to the fragile layers that build up over a lifetime of survival. The mantis’ gaze is unwavering, its large, reflective eyes hinting at an inner awareness of its precarious existence. The legs, delicately elongated, give an impression of elegance, yet they seem ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice—a readiness born of necessity, not choice.

The work explores a “motivational state of disambiguation,” capturing the tension between instinctual drive and the bleak realization that survival itself is unsustainable in certain environments. This mantis, with its poised stance, seems to contemplate its own paradox: it is driven forward by hunger, yet its world offers little promise of fulfillment. In this “unable condition of sustainability,” the creature embodies an endless quest, a struggle marked by dignity even in the face of scarcity.

“Grace of hunger” confronts viewers with the concept of humanitarian aid stripped of human agency—an “aid of non-humanity.” Here, there are no interventions, no solutions, only the mantis’ own unyielding will to survive, despite the odds. It is a reminder that nature itself often operates without mercy, and life persists in spite of, not because of, the conditions it endures. Through this piece, we are invited to reflect on the quiet, profound beauty of resilience, the grace found in the simple act of continuing forward, even when there is little hope for sustenance.