ANNA SPÁČILOVÁ

Threshold

Photography Studio

Your graduate work consists of a video that includes an installation of found objects, and revolves around concepts of everyday life, routine, privacy, human closeness and care. What particular situation were you observing?
I was observing my grandfather’s everyday existence and where he lives. I was interested in his daily routine and how it works (or doesn’t), as well as the relationships and situations developing around him. I was observing both him and his surroundings – my grandmother, who takes care of him; myself as an observer; small conversations and special moments; silence; objects left lying around; the atmosphere of the place. Everything that shapes and connects us. I focused on certain subtle situations that might seem insignificant or ordinary under normal circumstances but become strangely intense upon closer observation. That is why objects and materials transferred from their original environment also play a significant role. Hidden beneath a layer of plastic – touching, in direct contact, but not really.

Is a personal connection to the situations and environments you explore essential to your work? Can you imagine working in an environment you don’t know very well?
A personal connection is important mainly because it allows me to stay in the given situation longer, is more natural, and I am more sensitive to it. I try to be present and capture the moment as it unfolds on its own. A personal setting also provides a unique blend of whimsy, humor, awkwardness, and sensitivity – this dynamic fascinates me.
But I don’t think that this sense of threshold is tied solely to a personal or familiar environment. It can appear anywhere, as it depends more on the way one observes the situation and is open to it. I can imagine working in a completely unfamiliar space or with people I don’t know. But perhaps there would arise a different kind of tension or a different kind of threshold.

What exactly do you mean by the concept of “threshold,” which is so important to this work? Were you able to stick to your original intention during filming, or did the story lead you to unexpected places?
It is that moment when something ordinary briefly becomes strange, intense, or elusive, without us knowing exactly why. It could be a detail, the atmosphere of a space, a peculiar sentence, or the situation’s awkwardness.
My original vision evolved during the filming process. I initially wanted to capture the lightness and absurdity of everyday life, but the personal dimension of relationships gradually began to influence the work. Filming thus led me to the very threshold itself, that moment when lightness begins to turn heavy and one becomes more aware of their own sensitivity to the situation they are observing.

photo: Polina Davydenko