Place Setting assembles folded straw paper placemats and recycled paper, designed for place settings, and I carry it through and around the Imperial Forum in Rome. The wind whips against the form, making it difficult to hold. Over time, the assembly grows heavy, and I lay it to rest across fallen columns and empty niches where sculptures once stood. The folds create patterns that echo those I see in the bricks of buildings, streets, and stairs throughout Rome. Rome. The softness of the paper surface presses against the stone. I feel the tension between the transient material I carry and the seeming permanence of the ancient architecture. How much effort does it take to preserve? Place Setting becomes a burden, a shield, a cover, a barrier, and a reflection on forms that appear throughout the city, crafted from various materials—clay, metal, fabric, stone, and language.

C.R.E.T.A. | Rome, Italy | 2021 | Photographs assisted by Christy Wittmer