• ‘DAVID’ ... And that annoying thing of losing ones head. By Jasmine Deporta
When Jasmine Deporta stumbled across David’s head, she didn’t think twice about shooting a whole series of photographs featuring large, empty facilities and all their mysticism - and David - or at least his head. Looking at these images doesn’t leave us racking our brains or loosing our heads, but rather unleashes our imagination.

Words by Hassen Ben Chtioui
Photographs by Jasmine Deporta
2016 Sep 08

‘DAVID’ – And that annoying thing of losing ones head

When we had our first look at the series ‘DAVID’ by Jasmine Deporta, we asked ourselves; what makes this series so special and why does it capture our attention? Volumes could to be written based on our personal preferences, repeatedly quoting scientists and philosophers on the interaction between the beholder and the object – We won’t, don’t worry! In order to answer the question concisely we would say just take a look for yourself. You will understand!
But what we would like to add is this: A brief glance at ‘DAVID’ tells us that Jasmine Deporta is skilled in her craft and definitely knows what an image can do with your memories and imagination. This set of photographs are a candid reflection of the feeling the moment you enter wide, abandoned spaces; places which have been vacated even just several minutes before you entered them but could have nevertheless been empty for years. A weird situation, comparable to the feeling of a diver discovering an unknown shipwreck: curious about what one may encounter but simultaneously scared of what could happen.
The facilities of the furniture factory, ‘Selva’ in Bolzano, where the artist behind ‘DAVID’ is originally based, not only produce but also sell their design goods. Selva specializes in objects for hotel lobbies and in order to give their clients the perfect ambience, and thereby setting, the rooms have been designed to mirror such environments. This is a significant reason why the rooms featured in the series seem so peculiar. Deporta received an offer from an estate agent to photograph the whole space, which is being sold – and she accepted. The accouterments such as the paintings and the oversized David’s head had been left-behind. Deporta remembers it herself as, “a solitary place where nearly everything had been left on the premises. The facilities reminded me of an Italian Palazzo: it had something surreal to it the first time I entered – a certain mystique.”
We interviewed this lovely young artist for our first printed issue Nr.1 ‘Comfort Zone’.