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Background Only
BFA thesis exhibition, Shenkar College
Background Only (2014)
A Paper Monument | 4 x 8 x 3.5 m Installation: Hand-painted foil, paper, and two-channel video
Monolithic Flatness: The Swimming Pool as Stage Set
Background Only is an immersive, site-specific installation that replicates a full-scale swimming pool. Constructed as a paper monument, the 4x8x3.5-meter photographic backdrop houses two video works "laid" at its basin. The work exists in a state of architectural contradiction: it possesses the imposing presence of an elaborate landmark, yet is defined by the ephemeral functionality and humble materiality of a hollow set.
The installation’s surface is composed of approximately 5,000 handmade tiles, lending the paper a captivating, glass-like sheen. Each 5x5 cm tile consists of transparent foil, individually hand-painted with glass pigments and manually adhered by the artist. While the work presents a uniform texture from a distance, a closer view reveals the unique idiosyncrasies of every single cell.
By engaging in a grueling, Sisyphean labor of construction, Katz invites the public to enter the work—to tread upon its surface and watch the videos. This inevitable erosion transforms the paper monument into a living site, a sculpture that functions as a physical ledger of human activity and gradual decay.