The Weight of Attachment (2025)
Description
Weight of Attachment is a kinetic sculpture that explores the meaning of emotional attachment and how it might be expressed through gesture. The project began during a research meeting when my advisor, Bilge, told me, “Amy, you should detach your emotion from your research project.” His comment made me pause and reflect. I realized that while I deeply love my work, I had also experienced moments in the past when I had to detach emotionally from it. This raised a question for me: what does/did emotional attachment-or detachment-actually feel like? And how might these states be translated into abstract, physical form? In this work, I explore these ideas through kinetic form. The sculpture consists of two pairs of thick curved structures made of wood laminating: one expressing attachment and the other expressing detachment. The gesture of attachment appears rigid, tight, and contracted, carrying a sense of weight and intensity. In contrast, the gesture of detachment opens outward-wider, lighter, and more relaxed. Letting go creates space. When attachment loosens, the work itself gains freedom-able to move, transform, and travel in unexpected directions. Through this gesture of release, new ideas and inspiration can emerge.
Materials
Pine wood, plywood, fabric, cotton, baloon
Process
Using wood laminating, bending plywood
Exhibition
Art Lofts Gallery, Madison USA, 2025