Kolner Serie # 24 

Editor: This is *Kolner Serie #24*, an undated ink drawing by Maria Bozoky. It's quite striking – two figures, seemingly interacting within a fractured architectural space. There's a sense of tension, almost precariousness, in their relationship. What do you see in this piece, looking at it through the lens of iconography? Curator: It strikes me as a modern echo of the deposition scene, or perhaps a Pietà, where we traditionally see the Virgin Mary holding the body of Christ. The supporting figure, almost straining, recalls the immense grief and burden associated with those traditional images. Consider the weight – both literal and metaphorical – implied by that supporting stance. Editor: I hadn’t considered those religious precedents. So the architectural fragments, those grid-like structures… Curator: Yes, they could represent a shattered or crumbling world, a world perhaps unable to contain or support such grief. Think about the grid itself – a symbol of order and control, now fragmented. Doesn’t that fracturing speak volumes? The cross-hatching also gives everything a sketched or unfinished feeling, so the burden of that grief becomes almost temporary or ongoing. Editor: It feels very immediate, the mark-making. What about the wing-like shape formed by the lines above the figures? Curator: Excellent observation! Is it a wing, or a shadow? Does it offer protection, or does it signify a looming threat? Consider how wings often symbolize ascension, escape, even divine intervention. Here, it’s ambiguous, burdened. I also consider the shared history we have associated with specific lines as carrying cultural meaning and emotional implications; line creates memory, like a scar. Editor: That’s fascinating. The ambiguity really deepens the emotional resonance. It moves past simple representation and allows a more visceral engagement with the themes of grief and support. Curator: Precisely. And how those themes resonate across cultures and time! It demonstrates how symbols and forms can carry emotional weight across vastly different contexts.