Masterclass / Marge Monko, 'Every Letter is a Love Letter'

‘Love’ involves a wide range of issues – platonic love, idolatry, religion, sexuality, desire, rejection – and touches upon very different disciplines, i.e. psychology, biology, biochemistry, sociology, etc. Each student will choose a text – this can be a poem, a song, a letter, an email, a text message or graffiti – as a starting point to develop an individual work. The resulting work can be in one or other medium: an image, an object, a piece of jewellery, an installation, a performance, etc.

In addition to a lecture on the topic of the romantic discourse, introductions to the artistic practices of related artists and film screenings will take place. During the masterclass, these artworks and films will be discussed as well as current tendencies. The writings of sociologist Eva Illouz will provide a theoretical background to this subject. The masterclass will consist of both group and individual meetings.

Marge Monko’s ‘Stones Against Diamonds, Diamonds Against Stones’ led to the invitation for this masterclass, organized by the research platform Precious Dialogue and Studio sieraad. In this installation, she takes the approach of world-leading diamond company De Beers as a case study to explore the phenomenon of desire and the codes and strategies used to present consumer goods. Marge Monko explores artistically how media like photography, text and moving images are used as tools by public institutions or private companies in their ways of communication. She employs methods like documenting, staging and appropriating, linked to influences of psychoanalysis, feminism and theories of visual culture.

Photo: Karel Koplimets - Marge Monko. An installation view of the exhibition 'Stones Against Diamonds, Diamonds Against Stones'. Tallinn City Gallery, 2018.