Belongings

Yambo x Borja Alegre

For Belongings Borja Alegre breaks away from his usual style, swapping intimacy for isolation in an otherworldly space in which lonely figures grapple with colourful inflatables, oblivious to the joys and struggles enjoyed and endured by those around them. Alegre describes these uneasy but humorous interactions as “different ways in which we interact with the past”. In doing so, he is contextualising a familiar journey—the way in which we deal with the highs and lows of life—in an unfamiliar environment.

Belongings attempts to understand the process of dealing with emotions, a confusing area in the digital world. Within 18 seconds we are able to experience what are perhaps three different perspectives on a single event. We begin with the sound of rushing air—hyperventilation in a space with no atmosphere—before tracking a figure as it walks aimlessly in circles, burdened by a cluster of comically bouncy inflatables. The incessant looping appears to have weathered a path, etching an endless cycle into the landscape itself. We then move to a clambering figure who is attempting to control a mass of bulbous fabric, as though it is trying to force a sleeping bag back into its casing. 

Finally we are offered the complete picture. The music (scored by Noi Berlin) accents the rhythmic motion unfolding across the scene, flurrying across the landscape like a strong breeze. It almost feels like we are looking back on a journey in retrospect: the silver inflatable we saw at the beginning is revealed to be a shining bouncy castle of sorts, with a figure bouncing up and down joyously like a child. Maybe these giant inflatable burdens could become a source of creative energy for us, if only we learned to embrace them.

Perhaps this is a model of the journey towards maturity, through the ironic lens of a uniquely childish trait: taking things less seriously. It is through this lens that we can begin to understand the central issue posed by Belongings, perhaps regardless of where we are, we will always remain preoccupied with our own issues until we learn to reconcile with the past, and welcome the potential in the unfamiliar.

So, can we leave our emotional baggage at the door? In the end Alegre has a simple answer for us: no we cannot, but perhaps we can utilise it within this new digital frontier to create a better, less serious version of ourselves.