Lumina

2007

plexiglass (200 x 140 cm), resin, light reflection, light projection
variable dimensions

‘Uršula Berlot’s work develops out of the evanescence of perception, predominantly delving into the realm of optics. Reflections and shadows produce enchanting images, which often dispel their mundane origin. In Lumina, a sheet of Plexiglas dotted with resin casts a projection, which comes alive and magnifies in scale when lit, thereby engulfing whatever fills in its way. Devoid of texture, Berlot’s are quintessential impressions that confound the boundary between perception and illusion: they exist only as waves of different frequency-lengths bouncing off surfaces and then hitting the retina. Yet they imbue the spectator with emotions provoked by chiaroscuro – semantically evocative of life extremes – and by patterns reminiscent of the natural effects produced by liquids and gases when condensing or evaporating, and of fractals. The designs are uniquely shaped by light and appear only in obscurity, vice versa, areas of shadow are observable only in so far as they are dark leftovers from illuminated areas, i.e. as the negatives of bright contours. Moreover, they do not seem intentional, but simply edited out from nature, and only the display is manifestly staged. The delicacy and transience of the work is pernicious; we are not sure of what we see, constantly flipping between negative and mirror projections, an effect even accentuated when the installation is kinetic (obtained with a video projector or a rotating motor). Focussing on ethereal images projects the viewer into hidden dimensions, hinting at disclosures of higher discernment.’
– Alessandra Pace, SCI’ART, 2009 (excerpt)