Play my favorite song 

Cathrine Edlinger-Kunze's "Play my favorite song" captures a dancer lost in a world of music and movement, rendered with expressive brushstrokes. The ballerina, with her closed eyes and serene expression, becomes a vessel for the music. Note her downcast gaze, a motif that goes back centuries. We see this in medieval depictions of the Virgin Mary in the Annunciation, a posture signifying humility and introspection. But here, it’s transformed. No longer a religious symbol, it represents personal, subjective experience. Consider how this gesture, this turning inward, has been transmitted through art history, adapting each time to reflect changing cultural values. The dancer’s pose evokes a sense of longing and escape. The dancer becomes a mirror, reflecting our own desires and memories. This painting taps into a reservoir of collective memory. It shows how symbols and emotions can be carried across time, reappearing in new forms to resonate with different audiences.