Soft Magic

Margeaux Feldman

2021. Installation with video, collaged affirmation cards, altar, and pink velvet pillows.

“In this piece, Margeaux Feldman invites participation from gallery goers, sharing three of their own practices of self care. Feldman writes: 

This installation brings to life three different containers, each with their own rituals. […] At the first station, “Anchor,” participants can engage with the objects of my altar space and rearrange them however they want. This tactile engagement serves to activate the body’s ventral vagal nerve, bringing us into connection with our present surroundings. At the second station, “Affirm,” participants are invited to write down their fears and select a ritual kit with an affirmation card from a deck that I’ve created (see art samples for some examples). Rather than discard their fears, I want to create space for them to be honoured and held together with others, and will be performing a ritual with them at the close of the exhibition. At the final station, “Contain,” there is a video of me building a container made of pillows and blankets in my bedroom. Participants are invited to take the pillows and blankets and build their own container and sit for as long as they need.”

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Video of Soft Magic

Video of Soft Magic with audio description

Example Affirmation Card

An affirmation collage by Margeaux using the Lady and the Unicorn tapestry.
A affirmation collage by Margeaux using the Lady and the Unicorn tapestry. 

Written Image Description:

A collage by Margeaux using the Lady and the Unicorn tapestry, in which a femme figure holds up a mirror to the unicorn sitting beside them, and the unicorn’s reflection is visible in the mirror. Behind them is an orange background filled with floral print designs. Floating around them are diamonds with a blue sparkly border. There is an affirmation on top that reads “Your trauma isn’t a flaw. It’s a sign of your resilience.

A series of small collages with various affirmative messages written on them are hung on a white wall. There is a border of yellow LED lights surrounding the collages. To the left of the room there is a television screen hung on the wall, and 4 white pillows and a white rug on the ground. To the right of the room, there is a white display stand with various objects placed on top of it, such as two candles, a few crystals, and tarot cards.
Installation view of works by Margeaux Feldman at Tangled Art+Disability. Photograph by Michelle Peek Photography*.

Written Image Description:

A series of small collages with various affirmative messages written on them are hung on a white wall. There is a border of yellow LED lights surrounding the collages. To the left of the room there is a television screen hung on the wall, and 4 white pillows and a white rug on the ground. To the right of the room, there is a white display stand with various objects placed on top of it, such as two candles, a few crystals, and tarot cards.

Margeaux Feldman’s Website: www.margeauxfeldman.com

Margeaux Feldman’s Instagram: @softcore_trauma