Arlette Quỳnh-Anh Trần
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Quantum Palm (2026)
Glass, joss-paper origami flowers dipped in clay, steel, spotlights, and motor
At the center of the space, within the darkened area, is Quantum Palm, “a large-scale sonic and thermal sculpture made of glass, joss-paper origami flowers dipped in clay, steel, and motor.” For the artist: “The Quantum Palm appears as a high-tech object, yet its core reference is the talipot palm in bloom. Native to Southeast and South Asia and later transplanted to South America, the talipot lives for decades, flowering once before it dies. This single, terminal bloom becomes a quiet image of sacrificial time spent all at once—a slow cancellation of the future.” Quantum Palm exceptionally plays out the slippage alluded to earlier. The form itself slips from organic matter to synthetic form, synthetic matter to organic form. The talipot palm becomes an apparatus of glass, paper, and motor. Through the reference to the talipot palm, the monument acquires delicacy—ornate foliage and intricate flowers. The structure becomes simultaneously monument and landscape. In the performances developed for the exhibition, the sculpture becomes part of the performance environment—as a shadow play theater using moving spotlights.
Excerpt from Future Tense exhibition essay by Carlos Quijon Jr.
Related works
Future Tense
Invisible Anthem