Mereem Lauren Dewerse

Radical noticing: a deep and curious attention to overlooked details that uncovers stories of resilience and vibrancy.

In forgotten corners of the city, life persists quietly, often going unnoticed. Through stained-glass ‘lenses’ I invite viewers to shift their gaze, finding beauty and transformation in places that have been abandoned and left to decay. This installation explores a practice I have called ‘radical noticing;’ a deep and curious attention to overlooked details that uncovers stories of resilience and vibrancy.

My work is inspired by signs of life I have observed within Auckland’s ‘terrain vague’: mould creeping, rust spreading, wires intertwining with vines. Where this decay is often seen as signs of death, I discover transformation - ongoing processes of change, moving toward different forms and purposes. Much like how indigenous worldviews recognise everything as animate, I believe every fragment has a place in a dynamic and evolving whole.

The textures I have gathered from these spaces have been engraved into glass panes. Inserted in these panes are stained-glass fragments and cyanotype photographs of the details I have noticed. These lenses, layered with observations, invite us to see the surrounding space in a new light, encouraging us to rediscover those quiet ecosystems with so much to share.