The first collaboration between David Mackaay and Lucia Sotnikova. Sotnikova created a series of photograms derived from a single glass object shaped like a smiley emoji. By exposing the glass object directly onto photographic paper at various angles of light, she produced a series of portraits, each with its own unique character.

Mackaay designed sculptural frames for each portrait, establishing a strong connection between the frames and the images within. While referencing baroque aesthetics, the frames did not strictly adhere to traditional canons, resulting in a contemporary look. He employed baroque aesthetics as a counterpoint to minimalism, using it as a means of expression that draws from rich narratives and transforms opulent spatial fullness back into language. The bizarrely sculptural frames serve as significant elements of traditional decoration; “barocco” originally referred to irregularly shaped pearls in jewelry-making. They exude an energy that ignites the relationship between image and wall, picture surface and exhibition space.