Fainting Couch (Prototype) 2002

Valeska Soares’s Fainting Couch, with its geometric shape and highly reflective surface, seems at first to recall 1960s minimalism, in particular works by Robert Morris (born 1931) such as the mirrored cubes of Untitled 1965/71 (Tate T01535). Approaching the work, a grid of evenly spaced holes drilled in the surface of the object becomes apparent, as does a heady aroma that pervades the air around the work. The perfume is that of the Stargazer lily, a highly scented flower. Bunches of these lilies are concealed in drawers inside the couch and replenished as needed while the object is on display.