Nova Contemporary is pleased to present The Study of A Long Distance Relationship, a solo exhibition by Aracha Cholitgul. Cholitgul is an interdisciplinary artist whose works focus on exploring new perspectives and meanings through paintings, drawings, installations, and writings.
In this exhibition, Cholitgul explores human emotions, and interpersonal relationships. The Study of A Long Distance Relationship showcases works created during the time where Cholitgul was questioning the meaning of home, drawing from her own personal experience of uncertainties, emotional distance, and complexity of relationships. The exhibition also draws upon objects that evoke deep reflections such as a sofa from Cholitgul’s childhood which brings to mind how one experiences a sense of belonging.
The Study of A Long Distance Relationship
I was going from point A to point B - driving.
It was a long-distance drive - 13 hours.
The view was of a mountainous landscape and was very enjoyable.
It was nice because there was some distance between us.
The distance made it difficult for me to see the details of the mountains,
but their presence was still close enough.
It distracted me from the road a bit. I couldn't see the mountains clearly.
I couldn't tell the difference between imagination and illusion either.
Do you know that feeling of being physically close to something but emotionally distant?
And what about the feeling that you are in a relationship with something so far away
that you can't really see what it is?
And what do you mean when you say 'distance', anyway?
As I was driving, I also noticed that the landscape looked even more attractive when I was on the move.
Maybe it was a combination of 1) a nice view, and 2) a nice feeling -
that you're getting closer to something.
However, the view from where I want to be will never look like the view that I see along my way there.
And if you've done a long-distance drive,
you must be familiar with this one illusion where the road ahead of you becomes a hallucination.
Your perception is distorted and the road warps away into the distance.
This happens when you fix your eyes on forward motion for too long.
When you're stopped by a red light, the brain fails to understand that you are no longer moving.
During the day, there's the time when the sun makes its transit into a challenging position.
Your sun visor can't shield you from sunlight. And when it gets in your eyes, it hurts.
