In One Thousand and One Nights (2016), Edith Dekyndt creates a meditative and poetic interplay between light, time, and matter. In the theatre of de Brakke Grond, a thin layer of dust, collected on-site, is spread across the floor. A beam of light projects a geometric shape onto the floor, continuously and almost imperceptibly shifting. Every hour, a performer gently sweeps the dust back in line with the moving light, following its subtle transformation.
Dekyndt explores the transience of materials and gestures. The swirling dust momentarily makes the intangible visible, while the repetition of movement gives the installation a rhythm reminiscent of breath. The work references the archetypal carpet as a symbol of nomadic life and domesticity, as well as the ancient tale One Thousand and One Nights, where repetition and the stretching of time play an essential role.
With subtle precision, Dekyndt investigates the tension between fixation and disappearance, between presence and absence. The performance raises questions about labour, impermanence, and the cyclical nature of human actions. One Thousand and One Nights invites visitors to pause and reflect on the minimal, the everyday, and the elusive aspects of our perception of time and space.
The work will be on view exclusively during Amsterdam Art Week, from May 22 to 25, as part of What Cannot Be Held, an exhibition curated by Suzanne Wallinga, featuring works from the collection of Mu.ZEE Ostend.
