Matter of Absence

Matter of Absence presents the art of Taja Spasskova as a sensitive exploration of the relationships between the visible and the invisible, between matter and its opposite – emptiness. Spasskova understands emptiness not as absence, but as an active structure that enters into a relationship with what is tangible and contributes to the creation of meaning. The basic premise of her work is the conviction that absence is equal to presence. Emptiness is not nothing; it is a space of relationships that gives rise to rhythm and tension as well as quietude. In Matter of Absence, drawing unfolds into space through subtle metal lines and hung elements that respond to light and cast shadow – layers that transform the material into the immaterial and vice versa. By expanding its essence into space, the medium of drawing becomes an environment that can be perceived by more than just our sight. Freed from the surface, the line enters into the third dimension, where its traces and reflections are constantly changed by light. In this way, Spasskova provides viewers with the chance to perceive space not just visually but also mentally – as a field of invisible relationships and a fulfilled presence that transcends the boundaries of the material. Taja Spasskova is a multidisciplinary artist working in the media of drawing and photography, which she combines with experimental techniques and spatial installations. Her works are the result of an intuitive, unplanned process that rejects the use of preliminary compositions or sketches. In her hands, line, gesture, and rhythm become tools for recording the inner movements of thought – traces of events that play out in time. Spasskova constructs the image as a process, not a result. Form is born from the layering and interaction of various elements; the drawing evolves like a living organism – without the chance for return or correction. This approach reveals the artist’s interest in the moment of creation, in changeability, and in the boundary between the conscious and the random. Thematically, Spasskova focuses on reality, identity, and perception, exploring how images and ideas are formed, how they are translated between different levels of experience, and what structures they produce. Her works function as records of the process of cognition, as visual equivalents of a never-ending, constantly rearranged mental movement.