Arteries of Silk 1271.11

Show & Culture

Elise Comrie The Silk Road was not a single road, but a network cross deserts, mountains and steppes – a vast field of circulation linking East and West. In 1271, during the reign of Kublai Khan, the Yuan dynasty marks a moment when distance becomes traversable and trade intensifies across Eurasia. This exhibition is inspired by materials once transported along these routes: lemon, sandalwood, saffron – substances prized for their color, rarity, and fragrance. Three distinct fragrances, developed in collaboration with a Parisian perfume workshop, accompany the paintings and extend the experience beyond the visible. Through layering, abrasion, and repetition, the works trace movement across distance – where matter becomes memory, and atmosphere becomes form. 1271 is reduced to 11. Two verticals. A threshold.