Emma Fsadni’s first solo exhibition Conditioned Comforts, currently on display at Spazju Kreattiv, explores the relationships we foster with the myriad things we reach for in search of solace. Lara Zammit speaks with the artist about the conceptual underpinnings of her works.

Conditioned Comforts, artist Emma Fsadni’s first solo show, puts into focus our contemporary relationship with comfort and the things we seek to sooth us in the face of anxiety, uncertainty and pain. Her analysis of these mechanisms of comfort, which she terms ‘conditioned comforts’, is both existential and psychological. The set of works being presented give an account of a journey of increased awareness – an ascent from habit to mindfulness.

UN – In Process, fine art photographic print, 40 x 60cm, photography by Justine Ellul, creative direction by Emma Fsadni.

Through these works, which emerged following extensive research and interviews with friends, family and fellow creatives, Fsadni attempts to illustrate the dynamics of a relationship with comfort in varying degrees of dysfunction. Her concern is with the state of being that leads to instances of dependence and evasion with respect to those things we seek in search of solace.

During this age of heightened anxiety, as we wander about awash in all manner of dread, imagined or otherwise, our propensity for discomfort seems immeasurable. To cope, we reach out, consciously or by force of habit, to things that may alleviate our suffering. These ‘conditioned comforts’ are ambivalent in nature, being at once a soothing balm and a shroud blinkering our vision. Fsadni’s works express this ambivalence and the nuances composing these sorts of comforts.  

Conditioned Comforts came about through Fsadni’s participation in the Artivisti Programme organised by Arts Council Malta and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ. Her approach to this theme originally centred on “man-made” forms of comfort, such as social media, but this quickly expa­nded to include “self-made” forms of comfort, which are more idiosyncratic.

“The term ‘conditioned comforts’ came about from my interest in materialistic forms of comfort which are more tangible, like our phones, for example, however, I expanded the definition of man-made to the idea of self-made after I started to notice from my own conditioned comforts that these were seemingly more innate,” Fsadni explained.

Detail of diptych Avoid, acrylic and oil on wood, 71 x 100cm each

“Something like walking or exercise, which is a natural form of feeling good, is a self-made form of conditioned comfort. The issue is more about the conditioned element – when you know it makes you feel good and you constantly go back to it because you’ve created this loop in your head.

“In the interviews, there were people who responded with the more traditional idea of a conditioned comfort such as phones, but there were others who related it more to self-made things like swimming or working.”

Fsadni went on to note that the conditioned comforts which both sets of respondents made use of contained varying aspects of man-made or self-made qualities, and in all cases these turned to them in order to avoid something that was troubling them.

“The reliance on conditioned comforts is what leads to them being excessive and people feeling worn down since they end up never addressing anything. They are essentially lost because their idea of comfort is not always meant to be comforting. Sometimes you do have to address those points of discomfort to actually retrieve a true sense of comfort from within.”

Conditioned comforts are, therefore, somewhat ambivalent in nature. While they may provide relief from discomfort, turning to them by force of compulsion with a spirit of avoidance can leave us tired and dissatisfied, lost and led astray.

Conditioned comforts have a sting in their tail, as depicted in the piece Constant – while these comforts can bring about some much needed respite, as reflected by the rounded sides, they also retain a certain sharpness, reflected in the same forms’ pointy edge. The endless repetition of these forms is demonstrative of the compulsiveness with which some of us reach out to our conditioned comforts and their close proximity is reminiscent of the breathlessness this excessiveness induces.

“Ironically, going back to that sting always brings people back to their original state of unease. There is a way of enjoying these comforts, but when one goes into this excessive state, it becomes more of a problem,” Fsadni said.

“If your instant reaction to every issue is to turn to a conditioned comfort, then it will be counterproductive because it’s not going to give you breathing space around it. Awareness allows you to work with your conditioned comfort in a constructive manner.” 

If your instant reaction to every issue is to turn to a conditioned comfort, then it will be counterproductive

With the series of works composing Conditioned Comforts, Fsadni devised a formal language to illustrate the abstract instantiations that emerged through her research and conversations. This went on to inform the forms, colours and textures in her works.

Distract, mirror, sandpaper, oil and fabric in/on wood, 120 x 120cm

She explained that each painting has its own formal language, always appearing minimal on the surface but withholding many layers of meaning.

In her piece Excess, Fsadni examines what for many is a sense of excess in their conditioned comforts when they begin to rely on them. For Excess, the artist started with washy, muddy colours, which represent the uncertainty that people are trying to avoid.

She then glued a number of panels together, painted green and pink for the washy effect, and then proceeded to scratch off these layers manually to represent the desire to scratch off uncertainty and reveal the pure, white colour underneath. In the process of doing so, however, one can very often become quite tired from wearing down the foundation.

Apart from the aspect of form, textures and colours also play a vital role in the works, where a mixture of creams and blues denote a sense of comfort while dark, washy colours are a bit more uncertain. There are also glossy parts in certain paintings which are reminiscent of our propensity to gloss over things that make us uncomfortable.

Others have pieces of sandpaper subtly incorporated in the work, further illustrating the dual nature of conditioned comforts. We see this in the piece Avoid, which includes sandpaper that only becomes evident upon close inspection.

Excess, acrylic on worn down layered paper, 14 x 21cm each

When asking people in interviews to set the scene for their conditioned comforts, Fsadni said they would start off by thinking of these as idealised things, but at the end they would feel negatively about them, indicating a paradox in the nature of these comforts.

The exhibition, curated by Margerita Pulé, is split according to the works’ level of abstraction. The initial paintings try to highlight the relationship people have to their conditioned comforts, which is very surface level, then the exhibition goes on to challenge this surface level state and, at the end, viewers are encouraged to find a happy medium with a higher level of awareness.

Fsadni maintained that many links became evident through people’s diverse relationships with their conditioned comforts. She noted that even if people have an awareness of them, conditioned comforts are not always obvious. In pursuing them, one hopes to achieve comfort, but one finds that it is more tiring than comforting.

She also found that people have different levels of self-awareness about their conditioned comforts, some choosing to deny their ill effects as it would be easier to stay within the familiar, habitual loop they provide. Conditioned comforts can, therefore, be closely linked to the Ancient Greek idea of akrasia – the disposition to act contrary to one’s own considered judgement about what is best to do.  

Tense – Instant – Temporary, acrylic, oil, nails and string on wood, 30 x 40cm each

Importantly, conditioned comforts take away from true feeling. The final room of the exhibition is concerned with this final part of the journey into awareness. The audio installation Move_Still_Feel is intended to invite people to move, “getting people to reconnect with their physical state”, while Happy Medium, which provides both solace and openness, invited participants to recalibrate their awareness of their own conditioned comforts through mindfulness.

“When I first started to explore this theme, not knowing exactly where I wanted to take it, I did realise I had a more closed-minded approach in the beginning to the idea of conditioned comforts. I found them very limiting and not that constructive, however, then, through conversation and even self-reflection, I started to notice that in our relationship with them it’s more about creating awareness around these conditioned comforts, whatever they may be. Once one has that awareness, they can then approach it with mindfulness.

“This is why conversation is so important. It allowed me to come to this space of acceptance and forgiveness around the conditioned comfort so I could then approach it with a sense of mindfulness,” Fsadni concluded.

Conditioned Comforts is showing at Spazju Kreattiv till September 5. This project is supported by Spazju Kreattiv, Arts Council Malta and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ as part of the Artivisti Programme.