Ivan Colas

Rediscovering the Everyday with Wonder

When we look at a simple concrete wall, most of us see just that: a wall. However, if we adopt the perspective of a child, or imagine the gaze of a being from another world, this same wall transforms. What was once mundane suddenly becomes a projection screen for our imagination.

The Wall Through Fresh Eyes

Imagine a child looking at this wall. Where we see a gray and uniform surface, they might see a mountain to climb, a castle to defend, or even a blank canvas ready to be painted with the colors of their imagination. The imperfections in the concrete, the cracks, and textures become features of a landscape or the contours of a treasure map.

For a visitor from another world, this wall might be a curiosity—an example of primitive but fascinating construction, marked by time and elements, bearing visible traces of its history and culture. This visitor might marvel at how humans use such simple materials to create structures that are so durable and functional.

The Art of Seeing Potential

It's this ability to look beyond the immediate surface that transforms our experience of art and the world. In art, the challenge is to capture this vision, to translate it in such a way that others can also see and feel it. An artist might photograph this concrete wall in such a way that it evokes an emotion, a memory, or even an aspiration.