III – She spins the thread, she measures the thread, she cuts the thread

In this exhibition, three artists explore the meaning of repetition, appreciation and appropriation. In seven rooms, specially designed by architect Donna van Milligen Bielke, they tell a story about the intricacies of friendship, artistic kinship and autonomy  within. Reproduction and mimicry are important methods to understand, appreciate, and interpret their own place in art history.

A thread, this ordinary, soft thing, is a metaphor for the mortal life of human beings. The metaphor connects directly to the Ancient Greek story of the Fates – the Moirai, three sisters born by Night and Darkness.

Clotho spins the thread. She makes major decisions, such as when a person is born, in effect controlling people’s lives. This power allows her to decide not only who is born, but also when mortals live.

Lachesis measures the thread of life. Normally dressed in white, she measures the thread spun on Clotho’s spindle and, in certain texts, determines destiny.

Atropos cuts the thread. She determines the mechanism of death and ends the life of mortals by cutting their lifeline.