Mom's Porcelain Fish , 2026

Mom’s Porcelain Fish is part of Marcelo Mayen’s ongoing body of work, Audition Room, photographed entirely inside his apartment in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

This room wasn't found. This room was constructed by Marcelo.

Mayen designed and curated the environment himself, bringing together the blue patterned wallpaper, red carpet, curtains, lighting, and objects to create the recurring world of the Audition Room.

The series explores an imagined place where ideas exist before they become conscious thoughts. The room becomes a kind of psychological holding space, where objects, memories, images, and impulses wait before entering reality. Rather than allowing them to leave, Mayen photographs them while they are still inside.

The physical room also holds particular significance for the artist. It is a space in his apartment where he spends much of his time thinking, meditating, and reflecting, making it a natural setting for a body of work concerned with the strange territory between the subconscious and the tangible world.

The porcelain fish itself was a gift from Mayen’s mother and has remained in his home as an everyday reminder of her.

Seeing it every day reminds me of my mom. Sometimes I’d just be going about my day and suddenly this porcelain fish would flash into my mind. And naturally, I’d think of her. To me, the photograph represents tranquility and warmth.

By suspending the familiar object within the Audition Room, Mayen transforms a small domestic keepsake into something monumental and slightly impossible, while preserving the intimate memory that gave the object its meaning in the first place.