If failure is part of the process, part of growth and a part of creativity there is no reason to be afraid. It actually leads to beautiful and unique perspectives and to art itself. Sere Rivérs describes it as necessary in order to be successful. She says succeeding and failing go hand in hand and that she grew from failing every time.
Her inspirations are the stages of her own life and the everyday things, her struggles and what she got from them. Watching the “skin series” feels like experiencing a beautiful and intimate inner journey, almost like reading the journal of your closest friend.
Familiar materials, forms and sounds create a warm atmosphere, which she captures in moving pictures. Different textures come together and enter into dialog with each other. White sheets encounter concrete, water, foam and human skin.
Art, which is food for thought doesn’t have to be brutal, cruel or disturbing to make an impact. It can easily be extraordinary beautiful and calming to internalize in our system forever. Let the pictures come to you, listen to Sere’s story as she talks about not being the matching piece by understanding the strength within being different and the risk of losing yourself while obsessing over the wrong things is very unique, emotional and comforting.
Her way of revealing what matters to her and what drives her is personal but at the same time it certainly speaks to many people. In a world of self-portrayal and individual delusion stepping back and out of the spotlight is a rare thing to do. Sere is an artist who does not show her face very often but we can see glimpses of her personality and her inner being in how she expresses herself.
The chosen materials for the video are common-place, maybe. We all have them at home and are in physical contact with them every day- bedsheets, soap, water. What makes them special is Sere giving them life, importance, sensuality. Maybe it is her way of creating art with everyday items that makes it feel divinely-feminine, yet tangible and approachable, even satisfying to watch. The beauty lives within ordinary things and she is here to awaken it.
The idea for an artwork, which she selected exclusively for SLEEK as part of our issue #67 themed around the concept of failure came to her when Sere woke up one morning and saw the imprint of her silhouette on the bedsheet. It reminded her of the sea moving, of nature and of flowing forward and being pulled backward. That same flow is what she replicated here for her skin series. Movements like clashing together, condesed fabric, wringing out, flowing, hugging, suggesting, stretching out and floating are what give the materials an organic and visceral experience.
Sensitive, wise, nourishing, receptive, all known to be female qualities are captured here. But when we look closely, we also find what is considered masculine attributes as well: strength, direction and confidence. Balance in beauty and sensuality at work.
by Teres Köhler
Film by Sere Rivérs
Co- Director Max Fohrer:
Poem and voice Jasmina al Zihairi
Sound Design Timo Weber:
Special thanks to: Frederike J. and Nash I.