Existentialism: who are we?

The main theme of my exhibition has to do with the belief of “existentialism” and more so, how existentialism, the concept of understanding who I am or what I’m meant to do, exists within my own thoughts and feelings. It had always been something I was curious about, even when I didn’t know the concept yet. Things such as the internet, COVID-19 lockdown, the journey with my mental health and identity have all been key factors that pushed me into exploring this theme and showcase it through my art.

The key artwork that sparked my interest and established what my exhibition will be about was “Oozing Space / Head in Space” - the first piece I made when entering the IB program. Compared to my other artworks, it is relatively simple yet it embodies my initial idea of what existentialism meant to me. It forced me to truly realize what my position in this world is and how it posed the question of whether I am living life as a human being or just a collection of atoms on a floating rock in space. From the creation of this piece, I was inspired to use illusions or surrealism in my pieces to make the work not only visually appealing but also let the viewer see things in a different light. My intention is to always form some type of connection with the viewer but also allow for as much interpretation as possible so everyone who views the work can personally identify with the question of what existentialism within the meaning of life can mean to them.

The theme of existentialism is very broad and can mean different things for different people - there is not one way to specifically convey the theme. The work of Qing Han was a deep influence on the creation of my works. Her art expresses her emotions through her journey of cancer and mental health through surrealism. Her use of morphing reality is something that really drove me to find normal concepts of things such as mental health and change them in a way to be more interesting and fully capture the raw feelings behind it. This inspiration can be seen in several of my works such as “Relapsing into a Loop” where common themes like feeling stuck in a loop are converted into a surrealist depiction.

I decided to have a wide range with my works when it comes to materials, size and techniques - the wide range allows for my message to be understood by many more as different people might prefer some mediums more to others but also see how the same concept, theme and/or idea can be transmitted in different ways. By not having a set pattern in my work, I try to imitate the way life is, with all the many twists and turns it has as well as diving into the theme of existentialism with how my mentality and outlook of the world has changed. Things are not the same as they were years ago and certainly are not as “smooth” either. Life for all, in some way or another, is a rocky journey - another sub-theme within my overall exhibition that is also of great importance.

With my overall artworks in the exhibition, my aim is to show the struggle with handling life with the many circumstances it may bring - whether it’s something good or bad. At the moment, there are many bad things going on in society - trying to live a “normal” life post-covid, wars breaking out, injustices towards minority groups - all of which we are made aware of through social media. Always being surrounded by information can be overwhelming and make life seem harsh, cruel or even unenjoyable. While my works mostly represent these feelings, I also wish to spread the message of coming back out of these negative feelings. With falling, there is always going to be a coming back. The journey in existentialism is not going to be smooth, there will be many relapses and times where things may seem impossible - but it should be known that it will be worth it, and that is what I hope to spread to my audience as well.

Ginevra Fontana

EMMA FUSI