The exhibition Metaphysics of Core Matter fundamentally questions contemporary materials at the intersection of art, research and industry. To this purpose, the artist Silja Yvette explores packaging material whose function is to protect coveted goods. Mass-produced materials made of foam, polystyrene and aluminium, made to be quickly thrown away, are understood here as archetypes of consumption in a social context.

Already worthless at the moment they fulfil their purpose, they’re usually disposed of with no further thought. Yvette, on the other hand, treats these materials with care. She devotes herself to them in temporary sculptures in the studio, in the industry and in photo and material testing laboratories, and illustrates how problematic their spread has become for the environment. 

The photographs offer an image of the contemporary reality of an accelerated life. The iconic orchestration teases the alien out of the familiar and touches upon reflections over how the Earth’s resources are used. In contrast to the pictures’ subject matter, Yvette’s series initiates a discourse on photographic production, integrating primarily organic and recycled raw materials.