2019 Festival ←

Neeko Paluzzi HOMUNCULUS, or the planets seen through my childhood window

Northern Contemporary
Neeko Paluzzi, Mother, 2019. Archival inkjet print, 12 x 15″.
Neeko Paluzzi, Mother, 2019. Archival inkjet print, 12 x 15″.
Neeko Paluzzi, King, 2019. Archival inkjet print, 12 x 15″.
Neeko Paluzzi, King, 2019. Archival inkjet print, 12 x 15″.
Neeko Paluzzi, Twins, 2019. Archival inkjet print, 12 x 15″.
Neeko Paluzzi, Twins, 2019. Archival inkjet print, 12 x 15″.

As a child, Neeko Paluzzi wanted to grow up to be an astronaut. He spent countless hours alone on his bed using his View-Master to explore the universe, imagining that one day he would see the planets with his own eyes. Recently, Paluzzi found himself sleeping in that same bed. Once the feelings of nostalgia faded, thoughts entered his mind about failing to become who he thought he would be as an adult.

HOMUNCULUS, or the planets seen through my childhood window is an installation of photo-based work that draws upon these feelings of unfulfillment and vulnerability, crafting a narrative that allows the viewer to visit seven fictive planets through stereoscopic View-Masters. The figures on each planet are variations on the artist’s body after being 3D-scanned and 3D-printed. In addition to interpreting alchemical notions of the early planets, the figures also reference compositions and themes found in Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which features a boy exploring the universe to understand what coming-of-age means.