Neon Traces, 2009

Public sculpture in Lille, France
Neons and metal structure on the facade of the Vois du Nord newspaper building
Size: 29.5 x 33 feet (900 x 1000 cm)

Historically Soviet shop signs populated the urban landscape and were anonymous signifiers of various functions (i.e. hair salons, newsstands, products etc.), rather than of ownership. 

A grouping of them have been assembled on the facade of the Voix du Nord, each one in the language of a particular Eastern European country, presented with a typical graphic treatment from the twentieth century. Medusa hovers above the composition metaphorically “freezing” this moment in time. Her image, having appeared historically from Poland to Turkey, Serbia to Russia, represents a classical tradition unifying a larger Europe. It engages the architectural style of the Voix du Nord building and square, bridging cultures and time.

The installation was realized in Lille, France in conjunction with a cultural event Lille3000 in the summer of 2009.