Eliza Yokina: Templates
The exhibition stems from the desire to bring together and critically juxtapose, through the tools used in construction, historical architecture—rich in decorations, stylistic expression, and materiality—and contemporary architecture, non-decorative and stripped of ornamentation. The templates gathered from various renovation sites, used to create molded profiles, subtly encapsulate the architecture they produce. The shape of the template reveals, in negative, a façade or ceiling profile created through a specific pulling technique executed by a craftsman.
The template technique largely involves repetitive and creativity-free execution, as this is its purpose: to control a predetermined, repeatable form. However, the creation of the template, which often becomes a unique object, is a more spontaneous process and involves a certain degree of creativity. These perishable, temporary objects, once placed in a different context outside the construction site, can be seen as aesthetic objects—witnesses of techniques, styles, and stories—carrying within their form a hidden identity.
The application of the template on the wall—its rightful place—yet removed from its primary function as a production tool, transforms it into something akin to the very element it was created for: a kind of memory holder. The exhibition is part of the “Casa Ienăchiță” initiative, an educational project that addresses not only the renovation of a historic villa but also serves as an opportunity to observe, understand, and discuss what it means to “make” a house, exploring its meaning, functionality, and attributes.
