Airlock 2013

Curator: We are looking at Jacob Kassay’s *Airlock*, created in 2013. It’s an intriguing installation, composed of a 3D printed form mounted above a reflective readymade object. What's your initial read? Editor: Stark. Deliberately, almost antagonistically, clean. That textured grey shard at the top, like a chunk of moon rock signage, hangs accusingly over what looks like a futuristic bookmark. Curator: "Accusingly"—that’s an interesting choice of words. Considering the title "Airlock", do you find any resonance with its symbolism? The airlock as a transitional space, a barrier... Editor: Oh, absolutely! I’m feeling this sterile, controlled environment vibe. The ‘airlock’ here isn’t about connection, it's about rigorous separation, the almost brutal geometry ensuring nothing breaches its clinical surfaces. Plus that floating wedge above feels like something broken off or lost in transit, like failed technology. Curator: Precisely! There's a dialogue between the physical and the conceptual here. The ready-made element below might reference discarded or repurposed materials within technological systems. Editor: And I find it humorous too! All the white on white, the pristine gallery wall. It winks at the high seriousness of minimalism while whispering: "Chill out, it's just some stuff nailed to a wall.” Curator: Yet Kassay also taps into archetypal symbols. Geometric forms are not neutral, especially in this context. Triangles pointing downwards sometimes carry notions of the divine entering the earthly realm, or… collapse. It depends. The mirroring shape beneath does something related. Editor: So, high concept pondering meets, ‘Oops, I dropped my triangle…twice?’ Curator: Something like that. And that juxtaposition, for me, encapsulates the complexity. On the surface, seemingly minimalist, but dense with symbolic potential and a sharp, critical edge. Editor: Exactly. It whispers possibilities and then slams the door on interpretations with its sleek, almost confrontational composure. A visual koan—what is the sound of one shard breaking? Curator: A potent and ultimately rather poignant meditation on the aesthetics and anxieties of technological advancement, presented with deceptive simplicity. Editor: Poignant and infuriatingly chic. Now I'm off to buy white paint. Thanks, Jacob.