The piece constitutes a woven reproduction of a controversial/infamous work by Théodore Géricault “The Raft of the Medusa”. The painting, which instigated a scandal in 1819, still dismays us today with its grim aesthetic and horrifying storyline of the wreck of frigate Meduse and its survivors. In fact, the image increasingly resonates with the current time and its events of destruction, wars and catastrophes.
The saying “Business as usual” embroidered over the woven surface is not an attempt to perceive the frightening through an ironic lens. It is more a statement of fact – no matter how awful the events are, the world as we built it continues functioning.
Writing of the large scale beads embroidery is of the usual meme font. And the woven texture of tapestry resembles a pixelated image of low quality downloaded from the internet. Memes ceased to be solely a comical form a long time ago. During the covid period, the meme making process became a kind of tool of coping with reality. Today, a meme is more often a form of social commentary than an attempt to garner a cheap laugh (or both at the same time).