“Open Palm of Desire” is a particular synergy of tactility and symbolism, where 24 textile frescoes with 3D pictograms made with shellac on linen become carriers of the sense of natural power and ancient proto-images. Each art object is a multi-layered story. This is a textile fresco, where laconic forms create deep connections with the archetypes of the major arcana of the Tarot. The linen is attached to a wooden block, which remains from old dismantled roofs from different parts of Austria. This recycled example bears the imprint of the life of the houses it once protected. The linen fabric, attached to it only from above, moves depending on the wind and the viewer moving in the space, creating a kinetic interaction. The unpainted background of the frescoes with its texture of threads creates the effect of ancient Greek “haptics”, “catching” the surface of the artist’s works with the eye. The simple, clear forms of the stars, moon and sun, human bodies and animals seem to continue the ideas of the expressionist Paul Klee’s “Elementarform”, as well as his passion for traditional Tunisian art with its spicy spirit of primitiveness. In this exhibition, GAÏA pays special attention to the images of the symbols of death and the tree of life, the emperor and empress, lovers, combining them into a cycle of “secret writings”. They are all inspired by the Tarot archetypes, which have both negative and powerful positive meanings - the energy of transformation, overcoming obstacles, deep feelings, and wisdom. This feeling of energy, as well as the primeval universality of the images, is achieved by turning to the color of the earth - ochre. According to GAÏA, the color ochre, calming and close to nature, is the ideal choice for creating a collage of clear forms. The collage technique, the paleolithic simplicity of forms, the universal power of color, the permeation of light are reminiscent of the Fauvism of Matisse. The artist's monochromes are made in her laconic style. Their universal simplicity helps the viewer to immerse themselves in the world of symbols and archetypes, helping to find their individual associations intuitively in the collective memory of feelings.

Words by Alena Grigorash, an art historian (PhD), creative critic, and a member of the Italian FAI (Italian National Trust), AIC, and ICOM-UNESCO (International Council of Museums).