Disarmed Metaphysical Objects is a thought-provoking installation resulting from the collaboration between Nadia Kaabi-Linke and Vamarie Nanej. The work explores the concept of hybrid objects that exist at the intersection of the metaphysical and the material worlds. These “objects” are not merely physical; they are conceived as mental or conceptual entities that can harbor and transmit mystical powers or spells. In their original, immaterial form, they are considered invulnerable — free from the possibility of physical damage because they have no physical body to break. However, once these objects materialize, they gain a physical presence, which introduces the risk of their own destruction. The transformation from immaterial to material thus brings both potential power and inherent fragility.
This idea is deeply tied to the concept of built-in obsolescence, a term often used to describe the deliberate design of products in consumer culture with a limited lifespan. The work applies this concept to metaphysical artifacts, suggesting that even in the world of magic and the supernatural, inherent weaknesses may exist once an object is brought into the material world. By introducing physicality, these metaphysical objects become vulnerable—just like any other object with a tangible form. This vulnerability underscores the paradox that the strength of any object, whether real or imagined, is ultimately determined by its weakest part.
Kaabi-Linke’s work suggests that the act of materializing metaphysical or mental objects, and the inherent fragility that accompanies this transformation, symbolizes the limitations of both the physical and the spiritual. Once these “spells” or metaphysical forces are bound to a physical form, they lose their invincibility and are subject to the impermanence and decay of all material things. Thus, the materialization of these mental objects represents a kind of self-sabotage, a deliberate strategy of “making them to break.”
This piece also invites reflection on the broader themes of power, fragility, and the duality between the intangible and the tangible. By exploring the inevitable decay of these once-immaterial objects, Kaabi-Linke and Nanej provide a commentary on the transient nature of both physical and metaphysical realities, suggesting that all things, even those rooted in the magical or unseen, are susceptible to dissolution over time.