Galeria Hanbell

Artist: Laura Prochilo

Based in Skagaströnd, Iceland

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​There are many different English interpretations of the phrase “Mono No Aware.” It is a Japanese idiom whose literal translation is “The pathos of things.” More often, it is used to express sensitivity to the impermanence of nature, a sweet sadness of the awareness of time’s passage. It is an idea that embraces the fact that no condition is permanent: that every moment we exist, we are in a current state of flux. The fact that nothing lasts, that each second is but only a drop in a vast ocean of time, creates in human beings a mysterious melancholy. It heightens our appreciation of beauty in the moment, for we are aware that it cannot last. This project is inspired by time—more specifically, the mysterious fleeting nature of it. It is an element that has complete control over our lives, though no one can quite say what it is or where it comes from. Furthermore, no one knows where it goes or why it is a constantly fluid, ongoing process. From the moment we wake up in the morning until we rest our heads at night, we are at the mercy of the clock. We check it as we get ready to go out, as we eat our meals, on the streets and in our home.