Untitled (Key)

Untitled (Key) was conceived as the embodiment of a dream whose precise origins remain obscure but whose influences may be traceable to a series of specific events, references and interests.

Among these is the Berlin key, known in German as “Durchsteckschlüssel,” an object designed for security purposes. With two identical blades at each end, its unique mechanism makes it impossible to forget to lock the door without also forgetting the key in the lock.

In Bruno Latour’s essay “The Berlin key or how to do words with things,” the sociologist looks at how the design of this object models social behavior by implicitly conditioning users to always close and lock their doors.

While Untitled (Key) shares a somewhat similar appearance with the Berlin key, its design is fundamentally different. Both keys give the impression of being formed by the union of two separate pieces. However, the blades of Untitled (Key) turn inward, rendering the key non-functional. Its impracticality may prompt questions that are less related to the concepts of manipulation and control and more to a condition of even greater powerlessness.

The year in which this piece was conceived, along with Vincent J.M. Eras’ book ‘Locks and Keys Throughout the Ages,’ written in 1957 and encountered years prior by the artist, hint at other potential references.