Place Setting assembles and arranges a composition of folded straw paper placemats that define a moment of gathering, a structure for interaction, nourishment, and presence. The placemats are commonly used for dining in Italy - place setting tables. I carry place setting through and around the Imperial Forum in Rome - frame and stage, place setting also. The wind pushes against the fragile structure, making it challenging to hold. As time passes, the assembly grows heavier, and I lay it to rest across fallen columns and empty niches once filled with sculptures. The folds of the placemats create patterns that mirror the bricks in buildings, streets, and stairways across Rome. The softness of the paper presses against the enduring stone, heightening the tension between the transient material I carry and the apparent permanence of ancient architecture. How much effort does it take to preserve? Place Setting is a burden, a shield, a cover, a barrier, and a reflection—a relation of forms recurring throughout the city, created from clay, metal, fabric, stone, and language.

Place Setting. 2021. Straw paper placemats. C.R.E.T.A., Rome, Italy. 50 x 4 ft. Photograph, assisted by Christy Wittmer.