In the sandalwood forest there are no ordinary trees

Mai-Thu Perret (Geneva, 1976)
Commissioned by: Swiss Post

Mai-Thu Perret’s practice is built upon the history of modernism, and summons memories of artistic utopias and women’s emancipation. For many years, she developed her work within the fictional, fluctuating boundaries of a story about a group of women who move to New Mexico to found a new community. The various texts that outline the history of these self-sufficient women served as the point of departure for sculptures, weavings, embroideries, installations and other artisanal projects. On the occasion of the renovation and expansion of the Montbrillant site, which contains the post office, the cantonal employment office, the cantonal social insurance office and the general hospice, the Genevan artist created a work for the façades of the interior patio. Consisting of fourteen evenly distributed eyes, the installation involved a technique that the artist often uses: ceramics. Shaped individually, each eye has a slightly distinct color and shape. All together, they seem to be scrutinizing the comings and goings of the many people who pass through this space for various reasons—to search for jobs, to request social benefits, or to work. Reminiscent of eye-shaped protective amulets, the work has a beneficial aura and brings a mystical presence into this administrative space.
Article commissioned by P3Art
Notice: Séverine Fromaigeat, translation: Matthew Cunningham