The project’s title derives from the deconstruction of a traditional English wedding poem („Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…“), which ritually accompanies the bride as she enters a new life phase. The author translates this metaphor into the transformation of the designer’s identity in times of environmental and social crises. She abandons the illusion of linear progress, technocratic overlays, and dehumanizing machinery. She leaves behind the trio of „old, borrowed, and blue“ and complements it with a new, sixth element – Something True – something real and lived-in.
The immersive installation combines cold 3D printing with the subtlest glimmer of humanity: breath. The act of exhalation brings life to matter, disrupting the cold productivity of technology and opening up a new sensitivity. In the spirit of new materialism, the work questions the dominant position of man and, instead of the role of the dominant „problem solver,“ offers a vulnerable guide who seeks a dialogue based on the autonomy of objects and the responsiveness of material. The atmosphere is complemented by an original video with a synchronized ambient sound track that connects the mechanical pulse with the rhythm of breath and draws the viewer into their own catharsis.
Petra Rybánska: Something New, Something True, 2026
The project’s title draws upon the deconstruction of the traditional English wedding rhyme („Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…“), which ritually accompanies a bride as she transitions into a new stage of life. The artist transposes this metaphor onto the transformation of the designer’s identity amidst environmental and social crises. She abandons the illusion of linear progress, technocratic accretions, and dehumanizing machinery. Leaving behind the trio of „old, borrowed, and blue,“ she introduces a new, sixth element— „Something True“—representing something authentic and lived-through.
The immersive installation fuses cold 3D printing with the most subtle spark of humanity: breath. The act of exhaling animates matter, disrupts the cold productivity of technology, and opens up a new sensibility. In the spirit of new materialism, the work challenges humanity’s position of superiority; rather than the role of a dominant „problem solver,“ it offers the figure of a vulnerable companion seeking a dialogue grounded in the autonomy of objects and the responsiveness of material. The atmosphere is completed by an author’s video with a synchronous ambient soundtrack that combines a mechanical pulse with the rhythm of breathing and draws the viewer into their own catharsis.
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