Episode 7

Edition of 4 + 2 AP

Dimensions: 90cm x 90cm
Transparency in light-box, custom glass panel, octagonal window frame

EPISODE SYNOPSIS

In 2020, when the world went into lockdown, human life came to an overwhelming halt. In this self-portrait Hardy is homebound to his space capsule - accompanied by a snail. Floating through a vacuum where time and space are warped, compressed and stretched. Craving for a dot on the horizon while the days pass by on the other side of the window. Destination unknown. Intermission commemorates the trauma we collectively share, but had to endure alone.

VIVARIUM

Vivarium is an ongoing series of constructed dioramas, called Episodes. In the creation of these worlds Hardy fuses his imagination, personal memories and true events into ‘purposeful fiction’. Together, Vivarium’s Episodes explore the coherence and complexity of our zeitgeist.

For each Episode, Hardy designs, builds and photographs a new world in his studio. His photomontages are shown life-size - one-to-one - in a lightbox with a window frame, resulting in hyper-realistic works that spark a direct encounter between the viewer and the subject. 

As Hardy places one or more characters in a meticulously arranged setting, he merges ambivalent, melancholic scenes of private moments in the public, with social issues such as conspiracy thinking, racial profiling, and pre-defined gender identities. By addressing a different topic in each Episode while applying a consistent working method, Vivarium is an expanding multiverse of portals where life takes place.

Each constructed tableau takes 3 to 4 months to complete. Vivarium is an ongoing project that Hardy started in 2018.