Acquiesce

Acquiesce is a surreal herd of long-legged sheep that appears throughout the space. You do not encounter them all at once; instead, they reveal themselves slowly, in small groups, as you move through the hotel. Over time, they begin to feel less like individual sculptures and more like a shared presence. I use sheep as a starting point because they are associated with the instinct to move with the herd. In this work, they are not just symbols, but a way of thinking about how we live alongside one another. How we adjust, fit in, and move together, often without even questioning it. The work draws on Friedrich Nietzsche’s idea of herd mentality, as well as Byung-Chul Han’s writing on how discipline and control today are often internalised; it is something we take on quietly and willingly. The sheep’s long legs give them an absurd height and fragility, which makes movement difficult. They are slightly off balance, as if they could step away, but they do not. It feels as though they have adapted so completely to being part of the herd that leaving is no longer simple, or even possible. There is also a subtle shift in power. From their height, the sheep look down at us. Creatures we expect to be passive begin to feel dominant, even unsettling. Instead of standing outside and observing, you find yourself moving among them. Acquiesce reflects on small, familiar patterns such as following, adjusting or staying. The work questions how difficult it really is to step away from the herd you have conformed to.