nell berger

“Archaeology of Oblivion”, 2025

Sand, linen + Performance

The achievements of women across numerous disciplines, past and present, have been systematically sidelined. Female role models have long remained out of view, and even today they are not fully acknowledged or valued.

During the performance, the artist writes texts in sand directly onto the floor: words by women such as Virginia Woolf, Joke Smit, Susan Sontag, and herself. As visitors walk across the space, the writing is gradually erased, disappearing under their footsteps.

“Archaeology of Oblivion” evokes this process of disappearance, the slow burial of women’s contributions and cultural production. Yet within this gesture lies a sense of hope: a quiet persistence that recalls what has already been achieved, and underscores the urgency of continuing forward.