Roni Mocan
Welcome
2007
Roni Mocan, Welcome, 2007 (installation view)
Roni Mocan’s work Welcome is a floorwork comprised of a grid-like arrangement of doormats that the artist borrowed from the local community, people in his building, and even from participating artists from the exhibition where it was first presented. In a time where xenophobia, divisive border rhetorics, and news of an ongoing global refugee crisis have become commonplace, instead of sitting barely noticed at a home’s entrance, Mocan transforms these ubiquitous objects into carriers of a poignant and necessary greeting message. The installation underscores issues of migration, borders, and racism and gives light to the urgent need and responsibility we have towards addressing the problems that prevent humans from being welcome everywhere.
Roni Mocan 's works are inspired by common events of daily life. Taking cues from the world around him — as the artist states: “from something as apparently banal as eating, getting dressed, taking the subway, or even a politician's speech” — Mocan utilizes the cotidian to address a rage of themes such as identity, place, migration, and consumerism among others. He often recontextualizes simple, found objects and materials from the everyday, finding in them latent evidence that speak of complexities in our lives. Formally, he works with various media including photography, installation and drawing, with a distinctive minimal style that is often characterized by his use of humor, irony, or the uncanny.