Domination over the steppe.

Blaise Pascal compared the fragility of reeds to that of human beings. In his work titled Pensées, he says, “Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed.” This reflects the idea that humans, despite their intellectual and spiritual capabilities, are physically weak and vulnerable compared to the forces of nature.

Reeds are not only a symbol of weak existence; they are a perennial flowering grass considered highly invasive. They have thick roots and rhizomes that spread underground, and each plant produces thousands of seeds. The rapid growth of this species upsets the natural ecological balance by overwhelming native species, destroying habitats, threatening wildlife, and increasing the potential for fires.

This installation Taras completes with the black coal base in the shape of a pyramid, which refers to terille conique(terykon) and symbolizes the power of colonial forces embedded in the labor exploitation of that time.

Taras uses reeds and coal in my works to underscore the duality of human existence: vulnerable yet capable of profound understanding and reflection. I also examine the contrasting qualities that surround us: fragility and strength, power and weakness, human and inhuman, lightness and darkness.