Shelter, 2026 Aluminium, epoxy resin, linen fibre, leather-like materials, kombucha SCOBY

central sculpture 4x2m high kombucha leather like and aluminum structure

At the core of Paula Zvane’s installation hovers a large, slowly weeping kombucha structure that proposes shelter while quietly unsettling the very notion of protection. This “skin cloud” operates as a spatial body whose internal aluminum framework draws from the Gothic star vaults of St. John’s Church, introducing a vertical orientation and a subtle evocation of the celestial, while remaining materially grounded in a tactile, corporeal register. Within Zvane’s conceptual framework, eroticism is understood not as representation but as intrusion into intimate territory, encompassing the physical body as well as the space of thought.

The installation unfolds as an externalized body, as if the artist’s own skin had expanded into the surrounding space. Organic surfaces evoke membranes and hair, generating an environment that feels both protective and exposed. Entry is mediated by suspended barriers of wet hair in doorways, permeable thresholds that both invite and restrict, shaping a charged atmosphere of negotiated access. The central shelter suggests refuge, yet its fragility complicates any sense of security, while surrounding sculptural elements appear dislodged, suspended between descent and materialization.

This relationship between body and environment became pronounced during the opening performance, in which Zvane’s body engaged directly with the installation. Moving slowly across the floor, her wet body came into contact with the sculptural forms, activating them through touch.