Pathos Pot

Pathos Pot (2024, ongoing)

A ceramic vessel that serves as a collective space to hold individual pain. The Pathos Pot functions as a boundary object between human experiences that differ at the surface but are connected on a fundamental level.

Through an open call from de Balie & Het Amsterdamse 4/5 mei comité, I developed a Pathos Pot within the theme of empathy and loss. In a 20-minute public ritual, participants symbolically transferred their personal pain concerning losses to a piece of paper. The paper was collected in the unfired Pathos Pot. The Pathos Pot was then fired and sealed.

The Pathos Pot is an ongoing project. More pots and rituals are planned for the future.

Photo’s by Michelle van der Plas for de Balie