In malaise, it is the world itself that becomes devoid of meaning. Malaise can, ironically, be a ritual; in other words, at the heart of the repetition and the performance aspect of any ritual act lies hidden a ritual nucleus that all of a sudden reveals the absurdity and emptiness of the ritual like a monster. What is more repetitive and sometimes exasperating in our childhood memories than education? Have we not experienced our first boredom during those lengthy, lifeless afternoons in classrooms, when the teacher's voice fades away, and the teaching ritual suddenly appears empty and our roles theatrical and artificial? Does this painting indeed not bring back memories of our teenage and childhood afternoons in school? the pale, faded colors; the intertwined figures that bear no distinct identity, and nothing is left of them but the repetitive gesture of the first figure; a dull and gray background; everything within this frame reminds us of those endless classroom moments.