This project examines how objects can become symbols through the meaning that has been attached to them. The process of extracting meaning out of these symbols becomes more of a reflex than a conscious cognitive process since we are so well trained to decode the embedded meaning from the visual symbols we see.

My intention is to remove the visual stimulations that trigger these automatic responses and thus allow the viewer to investigate highly symbolized items through exploring its structure and material. I utilized X-ray imaging technology, which uses high voltage light beams to penetrate and generate a radiographic image of objects.

The resulting images allow the viewer to inspect the material and structure of objects, free from the instinctive decoding of its underlying meaning. To compliment the images’ abstraction, I built opaque boxes that allow the visitor to experience the different objects using their tactile sense. This gives yet another way for the visitors to experience the essence of the matter without its layers of embedded meanings.