STEF VAN BELLINGEN, CATALOGUE COUP DE VILLE SINT NIKLAAS, BELGIUM 2010 WWW.WARP-ART.BE
"Veronika Tzekova is fascinated by the processes of change in an urban context. The certainties presupposed by the economy, politics or advertising world, turn out to be fickle and ephemeral. The visual messages they leave behind evoke people's desires for a different and better existence. Tzekova observes these changes in a town, and their influence on the behavior of its residents. Her artworks create the impression of being politically loaded statements. Although that may very well be the case, they also express a concern about essential human needs.To live in the best of all possible worlds, quite many changes would need to be made. However, many decisions or actions cannot be undone. In WUMAMPAROI (When You Make a Mistake Put a Rose on It), she toys with the idea of undoing something. This is achieved symbolically by the planting of the flower, in some way analogous of the penance that follows the Catholic confession ritual.
For Coup de ville, Veronika Tzekova works in the inner court of Moeland Castle, which is part of a hospital. It is the ideal place for asking yourself questions about what you have done wrong and how this can be rectified. Switchables is an installation consisting of benches, with words on a lightbox that can be switched on and off. With plants placed around the furniture, the location is a pleasant oasis that invites people to relax and reflect for a moment. The artist asked the hospital staff to provide words in their personal lives that they wished could be changed. From these words, Tzekova selected a few such as 'memory', 'desire', 'incurable', 'politics', 'nationality' and 'gender'. Switching the lightbox on and off simulates what is possible with the computer, namely undoing a mistake by pressing the "Ctrl+ Z' keys."