Pillow

Identification of the Work by Noé Sendas

Pillow is a work by the Belgian artist Noé Sendas. Created about 2002, the piece exists as a specific arrangement of objects and sound. It is currently held within the collection of Culturgest - Fundação Caixa Geral de Depósitos.

The installation consists of a pillow, a pillow-case, a mirror, and sound. It occupies a variable size within the gallery space. The artist uses these materials to anchor the viewer in a moment of quiet, intimate presence. A black mirror is integrated into the work, offering a dark reflection to the spectator.

The piece functions through a specific duration of forty-four seconds. It relies on a voice that travels through a telephone to reach the listener. This auditory element has been presented in three different versions over time. The work remains a quiet intersection of the physical and the whispered.

Composition and Visual Elements

The arrangement centers on the tactile presence of a pillow and its accompanying pillow-case. These soft forms occupy a space of variable size, existing as physical objects within the installation. A black mirror is integrated into the composition, offering a dark, non-reflective surface that disrupts the expected visual feedback of the room. This void-like element sits alongside the fabric, creating a tension between the softness of the bedding and the hard, opaque quality of the glass.

Sound enters the space as a structural component of the work. The auditory layer is not a background element but a primary material, as essential to the piece as the pillow itself. This sound interacts with the physical objects to complete the sensory environment. The presence of the mirror and the textile creates a quiet, staged geometry. Everything remains poised in a state of stillness.

Thematic and Auditory Elements

A voice emerges from the pillow, traveling through a telephone line to reach the listener. This story, told by the artist himself, creates a direct, intimate connection. The sound is aimed specifically at the spectator, transforming the viewer into a silent participant in a private exchange. Over time, the soundtrack has evolved, existing in three distinct versions that shift the atmosphere of the encounter.

The work exists in a variable size, an unpredictable presence in the space. It carries the inventory number 563805. Within this arrangement, the auditory experience acts as a bridge between the physical object and the unseen world of memory. The spoken word arrives like a whispered secret, lingering in the air long after the sound has ceased.