In LAURIE, Szakats uses a fragment of René-Antoine Houasse’s statue Apollo Pursuing Daphne to explore the theme of self-protection in the face of harmful intimacy. The appropriation of works from art history becomes a process of self-education which creates a link between the official history of art with the personal and the intimate sphere.

In the Greek myth, Daphne transforms into a bay tree to escape Apollo. Szakats is interested in representing Daphne’s last-resort attempt to reclaim agency by physically removing herself from Apollo’s pursuit. The work reflects a powerful commentary on the lengths to which individuals might go to escape harassment and preserve their own boundaries. Szakats uses this mythological scene to address contemporary issues surrounding personal safety and self-protection within relationships, reinterpreting Daphne’s transformation as an act of resilience against violation.