Pygmalion, as the Greek myth has it, is a sculptor who secludes himself in his studio to carve the figure of a woman, with whom he soon falls in love – a piece of stone who is ultimately brought to life by Venus. Pygmalion corresponds to the archetype of the genius artist who, all alone, isolated from the world, creates the most auratic and beautiful work of art imaginable.
During my residency in Helmond, I wanted to do exactly the opposite: instead of retreating to my studio with a stone, I brought the stone to the people; instead of creating a work all by myself, I wanted to bring it into the world in a collective process. And so, every day, I set off with a handcart and a block of marble to meet people and initiate conversations. I translated these encounters into a poem, which the stone – symbolically brought to life by the people of Helmond – solemnly recited on the last day of the residency.