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Without a Trace

In Without a Trace, visitors are invited to select and remove a sculpture from the shelves lining the space, bring it to the pedestal at the center, and using the tools provided, destroy it. Visitors should then place what remains of the sculpture into the great basin at the center of the pedestal, paying close attention to what has emerged from their destructive act.  

This work follows Foerster’s investigation of connection, and touches on ideas of materialism and the ephemeral. In large part a reaction to capitalistic structures that surround the art world, Foerster has intentionally moved in another direction, freely gifting his work to those who want it. In this interaction, Foerster removes the barrier of purchase in the hopes of creating a unique interaction where a genuine connection can be forged between artwork, viewer, and artist. For Without a Trace, this interaction becomes more intricate, playful, and ritualistic, taking inspiration from toy dispenser machines, mystery boxes, and card packs. It was later that the artist realized that while these mechanisms that colored his youth projected an air of play, they were also tools used to manipulate and foster an obsessive desire to collect and possess. Here Foerster questions how or why possessing artwork might give it greater perceived value, or if instead value is endowed through the act of giving. 

The ritual that the visitor enacts in this exhibition is an exercise in loss and letting go. In order to find recompense, the visitor must commit a violent act that erases the work of the artist and effectively ends the life of the unfired clay sculpture they chose. Among the refuse, the visitor can find the token reward and keepsake of the ritual, theirs to keep. Then, a moment for reflection. The visitor releases the remains of the sculpture into the basin, where it breaks down, settles, and joins the slurry made from other rituals. In the artist’s practice, ever aware of his environmental impact, nothing goes to waste. This slurry of memory will be recycled and find new life in future projects. Mirroring the passage of time, the memories created in this space will be carried away by the clay, transform into something new, and slowly vanish, without a trace.

Without a Trace was on view at the Contemporary at Blue Star in San Antonio, TX from March to June 2024.

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