Who carries responsibility once intimacy has ended?

Visitors entered an almost empty studio where a baby bathtub slowly drained water onto the floor. Eggs softened over several days in vinegar, their shells dissolved to expose membranes in varying states, rested beneath the surface of the water.

After several minutes, I closed the door and individually approached each participant and whispered a single question in their ear: Do you want to feel? Those who consented placed one of the softened eggs between our hands. As pressure increased, the shell collapsed, releasing vinegar and yolk across our skin. Water continued to drain and the smell of vinegar saturated the air. Broken shell, yolk, and membrane continued to collect on the floor. After all participants had left, I returned to clean the room alone and return the space to order.

The word schmaltz* carries layered associations with nourishment, domestic labor, inheritance, family memory, and excessive sentiment.

*Yiddish for rendered chicken fat, often used in Ashkenazi Jewish cooking. Colloquially, the word also refers to ‘excessive sentimentality’,