The Ball Variations combine different materials, such as cement or lycopodium (bangballs and hardballs seen in the exhibition) or magnesium sulfate and sand (snowballs (2011) and grindballs), with the synthetic polyethylene of everyday bubble wrap. In each variant, one of these materials is sealed in the bubbles of the aeroplast film.
The materials refer to a range of topics such as engineering and construction (cement), combustion (lycopodium), extraction and exploitation (sand), and economics and management, which in different ways represent the power of Man over the environment. On the other hand, these themes are linked by high investments and uncertain resilience. The anti-shock film that surrounds the various materials could symbolize a certain need for protection. Protection comes with a cost. The bubble wrap, which is neither hard nor granular, nor crystalline or explosive, but is synthetic and non-biodegradable, will keep people busy for 500,000 years.
The Ball Variations preserve concrete abstractions of contemporary Homo Faber fetishes. They are a reminder of the belief or human dream of being able to control the world and the environment despite being permanently foiled by disaster.
