Annette Dam

The eye of the beholder

Denmark, 2010

Necklace

Materials:

14K gold, silver, enamel, transfer, reflector

foil, plexi glas, woods, lacker, elastic band.

Dimension in cm:

16 x 12 x 8

Artist Statement:

In general I have difficulty viewing the

Middle East as a whole but more as very

different countries placed next to each

other. The region consists of a variety of

ethnic groups, religions, cultures and

politics which over the course of several

centuries have either merged or fought

against each other.

People in the West have a tendency to focus

on the negative aspects in the Middle East.

It's not that I can´t see the conflicts and

massive human suffering that exist, but

when viewed with a historical perspective,

some good has indeed grown out of this

melting pot of chaos and colliding cultures.

This area has a lot of facets and therefore

one must take care to remember to also

focus on the positive elements in this

region.

My necklace illustrates this chaos of forces

pulling in different directions; against,

through, and over each other. Brought

together, the elements, materials and colors

symbolize the diversity and tension in the

Middle East while also allowing for spaces

between.  Some of the elements are

decorated with patterns originating from

Middle Eastern art.

The pendant can be put on the chain in a

variety of different ways.  Depending on the

angle from which viewed, different

structures and constellations will appear.

Just like the Middle East, it is relative. After

all, it is the eye of the beholder...

What was your starting point or your

inspiration for doing this project?

I met Dana at KORU3 in Finland where I

first heard about this project. It sounded

both inspiring and challenging.

Do you have a personal (or other)

connection to the exhibition’s theme?

Being Danish I am affected by the

Mohammed Cartoons and concerned about

the developments in the Middle East in

general. The conflicts in the region are very

complex. Even though  I think of myself as

a very empathic person, I sometimes find it

difficult to follow the logic behind some of

the tragic episodes which take place there. I

do not generalize though, perceiving all

people from the Middle East as fanatics,

oppressive and of course, terrorists. As well

as I hope they don´t see all Danes as

unenlightened and unenlightened headons.

What were the main reasons for choosing

the materials, shapes or technique in your

work?

As I wanted to show diversity and chaos, I

used a lot of different materials, colors and

ornaments. The shape of the elements

refers to road signs brought together,

pointing in all kinds of directions. The

wearer chooses which way to turn it and

how it is to be seen and/or presented.