Resident from September 1, until October 31, 2024, and from February 1 to 28, 2025
Laila Marie Costa is a multidisciplinary artist whose work varies through jewellery, assemblages, installation, videos and performances. She draws inspiration from the banality, absurdity and drama of life. Laila’s work researches the crossing between art, design, craft and life, with the purpose of establishing a dialogue about the role of jewellery in contemporary art.
Since her relocation from Melbourne, Australia, to Hasselt, Belgium, Laila collects materials from the urban environment, such as objects that were thrown away, second-hand findings, domestic trash and recyclable materials. She cleanses, sorts and assembles these materials carefully, so that their materiality decides the shape of her work. Her DIY-approach, filled with humour, emphasises the connection between these found objects and the human body, to which, as a result, viewers will be encouraged to reconsider the position of jewellery in the broader contemporary art.
During her residency at DIVA she is planning to broaden her knowledge on diamonds with a lower quality, such as industrial diamond powder and dust, with the help of DIVA’s broad library and archive for research. Laila is in particular interested in pieces like tiaras and chatelaines, which she hopes will help inspire her for new and performative directions in her work.
During her residency she strives to create a small collection of jewellery that is accessible, but also brings forward subtle moral and ethical matters. Her goal is to include viewers through charm instead of provocation and to invite them to think about these matters in the context of contemporary art.