M-7578-DJ - Sofia Larssen

M-7578-DJ: A Journey of Repair and Self-Discovery

Year 2018

Art Project

Fotography

Illustration

In collaboration with mechanic Luis María de Palacio, I embarked on a transformative project to restore a vintage Citroën 2CV that had been sitting unused for over 20 years. This project is not just about fixing a car—it’s a deeper exploration of the emotional and symbolic relationships between humans and objects. As I delved into the intricate mechanisms of the car, I mirrored this process within myself, learning about the hidden connections between its parts and how they could serve as metaphors for the human experience.

To bridge this relationship, I reinterpreted the car’s components using soft, tactile materials like plushes, creating a space where others could engage with the vehicle through touch, expressing emotions and thoughts that words often fail to capture. This project aims to reflect how the act of repair can become a form of self-reflection, connecting us not only to the objects in our lives but also to each other.

Drawing workshop with Antoine Marchalot

Oil pastels on paper (A3 size). 2023.

Creation process

Car repair process

Instruction manual

As part of the project, I created an instruction manual to guide me through the unfamiliar world of mechanics. This manual became both a literal and metaphorical tool, helping me understand how each part of the car—wheels, engine, exhaust—functioned and how they were interconnected. Each component of the car mirrored aspects of human experience: the wheels that help us move forward, the horn that allows us to communicate, and the trunk that holds our memories. Through this manual, I navigated not only the physical process of bringing the car back to life but also the emotional and psychological connections that emerged along the way. Here, I present material from the repair process, along with photos I took and video clips I recorded throughout the project.