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17-25 October 2026

Idleness

The State of Idleness

Hosted by Laura Dominici

This project is now archived and was part of DDW21

Event type

Exhibition

© Laura Dominici
When the attention, which is usually directed towards my surroundings, suddenly flips to the inside, I’m in a world in which time does not exist. A daydream commences, sometimes leading to trance-like state. Pillows with imprints of idleness accompany the act of sinking into a world of thoughts.

the state of idleness

Idleness is a state which is connected to mental pleasures. It might involve enjoyable activities such as eating grapes. It is neither about being entertained nor about relaxing after a busy day. When the attention, which is usually directed towards my surroundings, suddenly flips to the inside, when I sink into my own thoughts, I’m in a world in which time does not exist as a parameter. A daydream commences, sometimes leading to trance-like state. From the outside, this looks like inaction. During idleness, the importance lies in that which happens inside the heads. This is invisible. What is visible are the imprints of static body positions such as the traces of elbows in a pillow of a window bench that won’t fade. Pillows with imprints of idleness accompany the sinking into a world of thoughts up to a state of trance. Scagliola is a very complex and time-consuming technique. With the monotonous work of sanding one can also experience this state of daydreaming. Today it is not being used a lot anymore as it does not suit the time we live in.
paul schütz, werkstätte digitale fotografie
Laura Dominici
paul schütz, werkstätte digitale fotografie

About Laura Dominici

Laura designs a slow world as an alternative approach to life. She deals with inefficiency and uses techniques that are rarely used because they are time-consuming. Utopian objects are created that are meant to be an impulse for one's own imagination. She lives and works in Vienna. After a long stay in London, she studied architecture and industrial design at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and at Tsinghua University in Beijing, graduating in 2021.