dirkes.studio

  • artist statement
  • A Paper crown / sculpture [1]
  • monochromes / paintings [2]
  • reflections / paintings [3]
  • faded memories / paintings [4]
  • about
  • A Paper crown

    For millennia, kings and queens have ruled under the symbol of the crown. Crafted from rare and precious materials inaccessible to ordinary people, the extravagance of a crown aims to show the divide between ruler and subject, making its wearer’s power visible. A crown is not an ornament—it is a declaration of authority, overseeing the claim of new territories and symbolizing dominion over lands far and wide.

    Today, the conquest of land has shifted to a new frontier: the digital domain. Corporations now claim vast territories in social media, navigation, and retail through data mining and the construction of false realities. These modern rulers—self-crowned kings and queens of the digital age—wield their power not over physical landscapes but over virtual spaces.

    In response to this era of digital rule, these are the regalia fit for such contemporary monarchs. These crowns are crafted from electronic paper—a material that serves as both a symbol and warning. A paper crown is an old symbol of mockery, a defiance of a sovereign power. Wearing a paper crown symbolizes the fragile and hollow nature of power. 

    In the digital realm, power is fleeting; a single update, a momentary glitch, or an algorithm change can shift entire empires. These screens can go dark at any time, leaving only an empty silhouette of authority—a stark reminder that digital power can vanish as quickly as it appeared. 

    A paper crown I
    E-paper displays, brass frame
    22x22x14 cm / 30x30x21 incl. platform
    2025

    A paper crown Ii
    E-paper displays, brass frame
    22x22x14 cm / 30x30x21 incl. platform
    2025

    dirkes

    22/04/2025

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