belu-simion fainarus rose of nothingness drips black water in art basel 2019
designboom_belu-simion fainaru’s ‘rose of nothingness’ – realized for the first time in 2015 at galeria plan b in berlin and exhibited the same year at the mak museum in vienna – was presented at art basel 2019. featuring an extensive yet shallow pool, drops of water fall gently from the top, creating a series of rhythmic ripples that interact with the calm, black water below.
fainaru’s piece, brought to art basel by galeria plan b, relates to the poems of paul celan that deal with the kabbalah, a school of thought branching from judaism, and its concept of nothingness. the black dripping liquid represents black milk, which appears in celan’s poem ‘fugue of death’ as a recurring theme. celan’s poem reads, ’black milk of daybreak we drink at nightfall / we drink it at noon in the morning we drink it at night / we drink it and drink it.’
