Statistics of a Bouquet

Statistics of a Bouquet explores the connection between a transient flower arrangement and sober figures of birth and death, revealing how individual grief and collective timekeeping intertwine.
The project is based on the idea that the realm of the dead exceeds that of the living, and that boundaries between life and death, inside and outside, past and present are fluid. Drawing on philosophical ideas by Dutch writer Connie Palmen, the human body and memory are understood as archives: traces of other lives, words and losses inhabit us from birth.
The photographic installation centers on a bouquet of red tulips in a red vase. Its natural decay was documented over eight months, from April to November 2025, resulting in 147 images that show the transition from freshness to withering, from presence to absence. A selection of these photographs is accompanied by statistical data on births and deaths in Berlin and from other cities. This links personal observation with collective reality.
The photographs are printed on semi-transparent curtain fabric hanging from ceiling to floor. Visitors move along and between the images, experiencing overlaps, shadows and permeability. The installation is complemented by paintings interpreting the same theme.

The work originates from a personal loss: the bouquet was a gift received at the funeral of my husband, who died unexpectedly in February 2025. The installation is a quiet ritual of remembrance and transition, connecting individual experience with a universal one.