Forgive me for what I have not done

2011

Text piece

Forgive me for what I have not done is inspired by a tattoo. It was seen in a Puerto Rican jail being worn by a prisoner as an expression of his remorse for his actions: Perdoname madre por lo que he hecho (Mother forgive me for what I have done).

While the original sentence conveys a primary form of guilt, altering the phrase turns it into a testimony of remorse for actions that have not (yet) been committed. Using the phrase "Forgive me for what I have not done" as the departure point, Otto Berchem is developing a series of works that includes text, drawings, paintings and sound. They all examine the concepts of remorse, guilt, failure and ultimately hope.

The first part of the series comprises the sentence ÔForgive me for what I have not doneÕ in reflective capitals, and confronts viewers with themselves.