URO - Stefanie Langaa
At the center of Stefanie Langaa’s digital exhibition Upcycling Prehistory is URO: an object consisting of 126 flint flakes (all approximately 6000-years old), that have been decommissioned by a Danish culture historical museum and hereby formally deprived of historical and/or cultural value.
The Danish word uro is of ambiguous meaning and therefore does not easily translate. Its tangible meaning is that of “a mobile”. More than that, uro describes a state of unrest, instability, and uncertainty that is demonstrated through sentient interaction with URO, an object of a deep past and everchanging present.
Stefanie created URO with intentions of articulating the, at times, rather imprudent application of predetermined archaeological definitions, and the process of objects undergoing a transformation from one definition to another. These pieces of flint, formerly framed as “flint trash”, have now taken on a new form and have been given a new name in co-operation with steel wire, fishing line, and an old bicycle wheel.
By creating an object that does not have to be put behind the glass of the vitrine, Stefanie invites relevant reflection on the approach to cultural and historical exhibition. She expresses her thoughts on this topic as follows:
“As archaeologists we are taught to understand things by physically interacting with them. This is the strength of archaeology: the things. Why not embed this procedure of sentient interaction onto museological exhibitions, giving guests a chance not only to observe but, like archaeologists, to interact? For me, the examination of things and their processes (influenced by human and/or natural elements) is what generates reflective curiosity.”
Stephanie’s full digital exhibition can be found at www.upcyclingprehistory.com
Other work by Stephanie has featured on www.artarchaeologises.com:
Using artifacts to make sound work (and compositions) has been the focus of other art/archaeologists. Interested listeners (and viewers) can use these links to hear (and see) more:
