introspection

Introspection comes out of a digital art residency with swatch are peace hotel ( shanghai ) where I decided to go back to my home family. I lived and worked for months in the same bedroom I grew up in. Facing the memory trick of well-known places that gives me the feeling of never having left, I put myself in a complex situation: facing both the paradigms of the 20 years younger French engineer as well as the one of the North American self-made artist. This work made me understand the work that I have been doing for years with a different eye. I realized that the work I am doing in water is, in fact, photographs that represent my different states of mind. Introspection is thus a series of mindsets from feeling locked to looking for escape. Most of the images were made in the bath of the family house. A bath that was rarely used during our childhood as my parents have been long-time ecologists. Furthermore, when using flowers, they all come from the garden of the house, sharing some kinds of common roots. The chosen trace is part of the all series and summarizes well the project. It is representative of my stay at Swatch Art Peace Hotel as we had to make it digital and the all work became very deep discussions about our approach to art and our inner self." (Robin Cerutti, 2022)

During this period of introspection, back in the room where I grew up, I found myself questioning not only my creative process but also my choice to become an artist—leaving behind comfort and security for vulnerability and expression. I began writing notes, fragments that challenged my way of seeing, like: “Identity isn’t just where we’re from, but where we’re going.”

With the support of the incredible residency team, I realized I wasn’t just creating visually striking or uncanny images—I was capturing emotional depth, personal states of mind translated into visual language. This process taught me to appreciate what I have without comparison and gave me a clearer understanding of how I’ve been working from the very beginning. These notes remain part of my practice today, reminders to stay honest, curious, and open.

Looking back now, these notes were not just passing thoughts but markers of a deeper emotional process. Writing down “Identity isn’t just where we’re from, but where we’re going” reflected my struggle to reconcile the past with my evolving artistic voice. “It’s what you don’t see” was my way of acknowledging the invisible weight of memories and how they shaped both my creative choices and personal growth.

At the time, I was searching for clarity—trying to understand whether I was creating from a place of true expression or seeking comfort in familiar forms. Years later, I see those reflections not as doubts but as moments of self-discovery, pushing me to explore vulnerability as strength.

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