Who Are You When the Labels Disappear? Inside SS21.art, a generative installation that asks you to give up your name By SS21.art Team - Nazlı Derya Öztürkmen & Merve Güven Özkerim & Begüm Tarako

In the spirit of March (last month) being Kidney Health Awareness month, emerging artist Ricky MacH donated one of his paintings to the Bahamas Kidney Association in support of the foundations’ objective.

1. As a young person, what did you imagine your future might look like and when did creativity first feel like more than just something you enjoyed? As a young person, I always imagined a future that was visually driven, though I did not yet have a language for what that meant. I knew I was drawn to making things, arranging, refining, shaping, but for a long time creativity felt like an instinct rather than a destination. It became more than just enjoyment when I realised I was using it to make sense of the world, not just decorate it. At that point it became a way of thinking and processing, so from my early teens I geared my education towards navigating a path to being a full-time creative. 2. Typography has long featured in your work. Do you remember when words, letters, or visual language first began to resonate with you emotionally? Words, numbers and letters resonated with me before images did. I became aware early on that language could wound, comfort, define, or distort, sometimes all at once. Typography made that visible. Seeing how a word could change meaning through spacing, weight, size, colour and context revealed that language was not neutral. It carried emotion, power, and memory. That discovery stayed with me and eventually became central to my work. 

Yung Ching, Chang is a Taiwanese fashion designer whose practice operates at the intersection of cultural translation and contemporary womenswear. Situated within a broader discourse on identity, materiality, and form, her work examines how traditional cultural structures can be rearticulated through modern garment construction. By engaging deeply with fabric behavior and structural manipulation, Yung Ching develops a design language that negotiates between historical reference and present-day embodiment.

“A quiet moment by the water,where time slow down”. The place I call home. S.Spirito(Puglia). This photograph marks my first publication.A milestone filled with gratitude and emotion.

Scotland-based oil painter Ramsay Allan creates symbolic and surreal compositions that explore the inner landscape of the human experience. Blending classical oil painting techniques with dreamlike environments, his work moves beyond surface appearance and into the psychological and spiritual dimensions of being. Rather than depicting the world as it is seen, Allan paints spaces that feel remembered, imagined, or inwardly perceived. His figures often appear suspended within vast symbolic settings — environments that suggest memory, consciousness, and the unseen forces shaping human life. Light, space, and atmosphere become narrative tools, guiding the viewer into a contemplative state rather than a purely visual one. At the heart of Allan’s practice is an interest in consciousness, presence, and the human journey . His paintings do not provide fixed answers, but instead invite reflection. Each work becomes a visual meditation — a meeting point between the outer world and the inner one. 

IT’S TIME Performance by Sofia Mobilia Sat, July 12, 2025 | 4 PM (STR) / 7 AM (CA)  In the courtyard of the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart, I’m in the middle of a conversation with friends and fellow students when, at 3:55 pm, my phone alarm rings - the starting shot of my performance. I’m dressed simply in black shorts and a black top. With me, I carry a bag of clothes and a portable speaker. Through a VPN connection to California, I tune in to the San Diego radio station I listened to throughout my two exchange semesters there. While the radio fills the courtyard, I unpack pieces from my California bag – clothes I wore in San Diego – and put them on, one after another: my San Diego State University shirt, my vintage corduroy pants, the cowboy boots I danced in at line-dance nights, my 80s leather jacket, and finally the sailing cap from my host mum’s regatta, paired with the sunglasses I picked up on a road trip through Arizona and Utah. This was the exact outfit I last wore on the streets of California in late May – complete, of course, with my beloved analog film camera. But what is really happening here? The title of the performance leaves room for multiple interpretations. It is time to get up – quite literally. With the nine-hour time difference, it’s morning on the other side of the world: the moment to wake up, get dressed, and start the day. But also, in a metaphorical sense: life goes on. Returning home after building new structures, routines, and personal growth abroad is never seamless. And yet, the transformation persists day by day – within oneself, through memory, souvenirs, and the skills and knowledge acquired. Old and new merge into something else. A running-on process. The desire to go back – to book the next flight – or simply to close one’s eyes and listen, to feel the warmth of textures, to drift. Thoughts jump between realities. Emotions shift over time. Does homesickness drift away? Letting go and holding on, in constant alternation. Saying goodbye while arriving anew. Often, we slip back into our memories without anyone noticing. Here, the audience notices. But only those who know my story truly understand what is happening. For others, it might feel confusing, even uncomfortable, to witness personal thoughts and feelings made visible in public space. When is something performed, acted? Almost always. We hide behind smileys in text messages, even in face-to-face conversations, pretending to feel what is expected of us. Except in that one moment – when I let myself fall, Fall into the Sun . It’s the title of my favorite song. A song I switched to after finishing dressing. A song I played endlessly during my stay, one I even heard live in California. This performance was also a process to move through my inner feelings, accepting them, and showing them as they are – regardless of what friends, family, professors, colleagues, or strangers of all ages might think. And what happens after someone interrupts by switching off the speaker? That’s when I open my eyes and, for the first time since the beginning of the performance, meet the gaze of my audience. In a society where time is such a dominant force, this performance deliberately takes its time. It slows down, becoming a space for processing and transformation – both emotionally and temporally. The form mirrors the content. And for a final twist, the documentation is set to play again in California. Website: www.sofiamobilia.com Instagram: sofiamobilia.art E-Mail: sofiamobilia@web.de

Artist Wen-Ying Yang (Jonah Yang), a cutting-edge Taiwanese Contemporary Artist residing in London, United Kingdom. He graduated from Kingston University London with a Master's degree in Art & Space. He has exhibited his artworks in numerous galleries and non-commercial spaces in the UK and internationally. His original large oil paintings "Starry Sky Series" caught the attention of a Chinese art direction team, leading to an invitation to reveal his paintings and create on-site in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. As a result, His artworks have appeared and been featured on multinational art platforms in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, showcasing his dedication and creative energy on a global stage.

Daniel Varela is a talented Argentine visual artist and fine art photographer who immerses himself in a universe of creativity through visual expression. His passion for art and photography drives him to explore new perspectives and innovative approaches, with the purpose of capturing beauty in all its fullness. With a dynamic spirit and a forward-thinking vision, he has ventured into contemporary art inspired by new digital processes. Through the use of advanced technologies, he has created unique and captivating works that challenge the boundaries of creativity. His artistic production has become a source of inspiration for other creators and photography enthusiasts, establishing a valuable contribution to the world of art and culture.