MARE TUUM #1









Mare Tuum is a transnational, collaborative platform bringing together emerging artists and researchers from four European institutions: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (Budapest), the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp), LCI Barcelona – School of Design and Visual Arts, and Hochschule Bielefeld – University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Developed within the Erasmus+ framework, the project builds a living network of shared practices, methodologies, and situated forms of knowledge that extends well beyond conventional institutional exchange.








                         



Zoi Dontasz
Pillar

Pillar

Zoi Dontasz


Pillar represents the cosmic center in many cultures. In this work, different perspectives converge around a central theme: nature’s transcendental power. I originally began this series of photographs in Hungary, but the seashores of Lanzarote opened up new possibilities, becoming the work’s final destination.

Is sacredness inherent in certain places, or is it always shaped by human practice? I chose to explore both possibilities: one through the creation of sacred spaces using land art and ritual, the other by discovering natural sites that evoke a sense of sacredness. I created an alien world that somehow feels like a distant memory, both unfamiliar and deeply known. In my search for existing sacred spaces, I first turned to the element most fundamental to me: water. The sea connects me to my ancestors. I feel their presence when immersed in the endless blue. The cold waves collapse above, and an endless calm washes over me. The sea is my true home—a boundless language shared by perfect strangers, uniting us. It anchors me to my origins and culture, a force both powerful and sacred.