SITUATION #176

In her photographic series Eating Magma (2017–), the young Greek-Japanese photographer Elena Aya Bundurakis produces dreamlike compositions that revolve around her so-called “4 Fs: my Flesh, my Food, Fauna and Flora”. The series explores the boundaries between the artificial and nature, reality and fantasy, while reflecting on our condition as living organisms with the wish to convey an experience of “cosmic or organic sensations”. Bunduraki’s use of varied substances, materials and colours in close-up bring a textural and tangible quality to the images, enhancing the act of viewing with the longing to also smell, taste and touch. The viewers’ gaze becomes entangled in a game of arousal and repulsion, whereby their desire is stimulated, yet can never be fully satisfied by the image.

More by Elena Aya Bundurakis: freethecelery.com