Memento mori: The hand

Collage paper diorama.
The entire work is handmade by the authors Ortiz-Gadler including the frame.
Framework with glass
23cm x 30cm x 3.5cm

A memento mori is a powerful reminder of mortality and the fragility of human life. In our creations, we reinterpret this timeless theme using collage techniques to shape images that explore impermanence. Through our work, we infuse new vitality into the ancient reflection on existence, inviting viewers to meditate on the transience that characterizes life and to discover the beauty hidden in its fragility.

The creations of “Ortiz Gadler” are the result of the process of deconstruction, construction and reconstruction.
They work with paper because it is simple and pure and at the same time it is a reflection of lives, images and thoughts.
Ancient books, magazine photographs, family letters and old postcards find new life in their creations made with the collage technique.
In their creative practice, each element that makes up the collages loses its individual identity to become part of a new collective piece, which is then meticulously cut by hand into many pieces and reassembled layer by layer.