Art in corona times 80. Popel Coumou, Paper and Light; Fotomuseum, The Hague

This is without doubt one of the finest exhibitions on show in The Hague at the moment.

Photographer Popel Coumou (1978) has made an installation for the Fotomuseum (Museum for Photography) in which she focuses on the modern architecture of the next door Kunstmuseum (formerly Gemeentemuseum) and the Fotomuseum itself.

At the same time she shows the way she works, which very much implies the use of paper and light, as the title of the show suggests.

Basically she makes paper collages of architecture, of which she makes photographs, as she also does with handmade still-lives.

That already gives a different idea of what reality, space and architecture are.

In this show she presents amongst others the collages themselves, with light shining through them, heightening the illusion of real space and architecture.

On the other hand she has also made life-sized collages in the exhibition space itself, by which, as a visitor, you become part of this world of illusionistic architecture.

Her work is firmly based on an essentialist modernism in which all redundant elements are eliminated.

Sharp graphic lines and abstraction define her works.

Nevertheless, and in the best modernist tradition, her work is full of wonder.

Her works also come to life in this show because of the changing light, which is, of course, part of architecture and space in general too.

Struck by the work, the show took me far more time than i expected.

Now that you’ve come here, you might as well subscribe to Villa Next Door (top right of the page)!

(All links open in new tabs)

© Villa Next Door 2021

Contents of all photographs courtesy to Popel Coumou and Fotomuseum, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

VILLA NEXT DOOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADVERTISING ON THIS PAGE!!

Art in corona times 79. Show curated by Robbin Heyker; Superweakness, The Hague

What is a strong exhibition?

Is it an exhibition in which the audience is enriched with knowledge and philosophy?

Is it an exhibition in which the audience will be completely overcome by an extraordinary aesthetic experience?

Is it an exhibition in which all works of art take their proud place in a solemn parade of greatness?

Is it an exhibition in which all works are hanging and standing orderly in line to give the audience an idea of objectivity?

Is it an exhibition in which the audience will be so terribly moved by what they have seen, that a selling point of handkerchiefs at the exit will be commercially viable?

Is it an exhibition in which the gloves will be off and the audience will be knocked out?

Is it an exhibition in which the audience will feel socially and democratically connected and will be better citizens?

Is it an exhibition in which the curator will lead like an autocratic Mahler-conductor?

After a lost but a zillion times copied painting by Jean-Jacques Henner (1829-1905)

Is it an exhibition which gives a view on post-colonialism, gender-inequality, the destruction of ecosystems and blackness and whiteness?

Is it an exhibition which proves its integrity by unreadable introductions which include all words necessary to be contemporary?

Is it an exhibition which is so exhaustively educational that the audience will feel happy like in a kindergarten?

At Superweakness curators are asked to make a “weak” exhibition.

In this case it was artist Robbin Heyker’s (1976) turn.

The original idea of the series at Superweakness was to make exhibitions without much fuss, and that will be on show for only one or two days.

That part of the super-weakness is lost already in this show, as it lasts some two weeks.

Besides, it is of course up to you as an audience to see if this exhibition is so weak that it will not enrich your knowledge, philosophically or otherwise,

that you will not be overcome by the aesthetic experience,

that you will find no solemn greatness in the works of art,

that you will have no idea of objectivity while looking around,

that you need no hanky for your emotions,

that you will not be knocked out,

that you feel as disconnected as always,

in which the curator has no conductorial aura,

that will give you no view on anything at all,

in which there is nothing to read to tell you what you see, and that doesn’t try to educate you.

Go and tell me later (why should i always do the dirty work telling you); it is at Willem Dreespark 312, The Hague and open on Saturday June 26 13:00-19:00 hrs; Thursday July 1 13:00-18:00 hrs and on Friday July 2 13:00-19:00 hrs.

Now that you’ve come here, you might as well subscribe to Villa Next Door (top right of the page)!

(All links open in new tabs)

© Villa Next Door 2021

Contents of all photographs courtesy to all artists and to Superweakness, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

VILLA NEXT DOOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADVERTISING ON THIS PAGE!!

Art in corona times 78. Mickey Yang, Upaya; KM21, The Hague

To write an article for Villa La Repubblica about Mickey Yang’s (1988) present show (amongst others) i visited KM21 in The Hague. Click here to read the article in VLR (in Dutch).

As i’ve written quite extensively about the exhibition in VLR i leave you here with these few pictures.

Click here to read the review in Villa La Repubblica (in Dutch).

Now that you’ve come here, you might as well subscribe to Villa Next Door (top right of the page)!

(All links open in new tabs)

© Villa Next Door 2021

Contents of all photographs courtesy to Mickey Yang and KM21, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

VILLA NEXT DOOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADVERTISING ON THIS PAGE!!

Façades of The Hague #135

Office building, Lange Voorhout.

It was designed by architect Jo Limburg (1864-1945) and built in 1910 for Martinus Nijhoff publishers and booksellers.

Limburg was an architect from The Hague and responsible for some remarkable buildings in this city, such as Herengracht 9 (1915-1916), Maerlant-Lyceum (1926), the building in which the present day restaurant of the Mauritshuis Museum is (1930), and a few others in which Limburg’s development from a more or less neo-classicist to a more modernist style can be seen.

As a Jew he was forced to go into hiding during World War II. He probably died while in hiding during the Bombing of the Bezuidenhout in 1945.

This particular façade is also a token of the lifelong friendship of Limburg and artist Willem van Konijnenburg (1868-1943) who designed the six remarkable sculptures which decorate the building.

There doesn’t seem to be a particular meaning to the individual figures. (If there is, please tell)

They all look neo-renaissance and they may be connected to thinking, philosophy, wisdom, priesthood, etc. but they carry no attributes as such.

Nowadays only the façade of the building remains as a state monument, the building behind it is new and it accommodates the Onderzoeksraad Voor Veiligheid (OVV; Dutch Safety Board).

© Villa Next Door 2021

All pictures were taken in March 2017.

Bertus Pieters

Façades of The Hague from #72 onwards: https://villanextdoor2.wordpress.com/category/facades-of-the-hague/

Façades of The Hague #1 – 71: https://villanextdoor.wordpress.com/category/facades-of-the-hague/

VILLA NEXT DOOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADVERTISING ON THIS PAGE!

Art in corona times 77. Mel Chan, Chrysanthemums and Prince Edward; SinArts Gallery, The Hague

To write an article for Villa La Repubblica about Mel Chan’s present show (amongst others) i visited SinArts Gallery in The Hague. Click here to read the article in VLR (in Dutch).

Chrysanthemums and Prince Edward is still on show over the next weekend, so you have to hurry to see it.

As i’ve written quite extensively about the exhibition in VLR, i leave you here with these few pictures; suggesting you’ll see the rest in real.

Click here to read the article in Villa La Repubblica (in Dutch).

Now that you’ve come here, you might as well subscribe to Villa Next Door (top right of the page)!

(All links open in new tabs)

© Villa Next Door 2021

Contents of all photographs courtesy to Mel Chan and SinArts Gallery, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

VILLA NEXT DOOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADVERTISING ON THIS PAGE!!

Art in corona times 76. Shigeo Arikawa, Parade of Pumpkins; Galerie Helder, The Hague

Our eyes and brains seem to co-operate as a perfect team.

Our eyes can cover a wide panorama in around and in front of us, and our brains immediately give the interpretation of what we can see in terms of our tasks of survival.

However, as you can see in Shigeo Arikawa’s (1982) present show at Galerie Helder, as soon as some change in your vision occurs, your perception becomes blurred, and you need your personal experiences and feelings – the tools that are always there even when you think they are not – to re-interpret what you are seeing.

In his most recent works Arikawa gives you a helping hand if you are able to read his lips.

However apart from that, there is in these works also a wonderful lyrical, almost dreamlike aspect, but, well, that is of course my interpretation. Go and have a look yourself to have your own!

Now that you’ve come here, you might as well subscribe to Villa Next Door (top right of the page)!

(All links open in new tabs)

© Villa Next Door 2021

Contents of all photographs courtesy Shigeo Arikawa and Galerie Helder, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

VILLA NEXT DOOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADVERTISING ON THIS PAGE!!

Art in corona times 75. Robe bleu, fond rouge; Quartair & West End project space, The Hague

To write a review for Villa La Repubblica about the group show Robe bleu, fond rouge i visited both Quartair and West End project space. Click here to read the review in VLR (in Dutch)

As i have written extensively about the exhibition in VLR, i leave you here with some pictures. The show is still open over the weekend, which is your last chance to see it!

left: Machteld Rullens; right: Morgan Betz

front, left to right: Marion van Rooij, Jan Wattjes; back: Luuk Kuipers

left to right: Judith van Bilderbeek, Morgan Betz, Marion van Rooij, Mirthe Klück

left to right: Pietertje van Splunter, Nies Vooijs, Annemieke Louwerens

left: Pietertje van Splunter; right: Nies Vooijs

Click here to read the review in VLR (in Dutch)

Now that you’ve come here, you might as well subscribe to Villa Next Door (top right of the page)!

(All links open in new tabs)

Contents of all photographs courtesy to the artists, Quartair and Projectruimte West End, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

VILLA NEXT DOOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADVERTISING ON THIS PAGE!!

Façades of The Hague #134

Façade of a narrow building with apartments and a shop, Wagenstraat.

It was built around 1900 in the then current decorative style.

Architect was one J. Latour, who has obviously built more in The Hague, but who seems to have vanished from history, as nothing can be found about him.

All pictures were taken in March 2017.

Bertus Pieters

Façades of The Hague from #72 onwards: https://villanextdoor2.wordpress.com/category/facades-of-the-hague/

Façades of The Hague #1 – 71: https://villanextdoor.wordpress.com/category/facades-of-the-hague/

VILLA NEXT DOOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADVERTISING ON THIS PAGE!

Art in corona times 74. Ioana Ciora & Kevin Schuit, Badtime; Baracca, The Hague

Baracca has turned to a less moveable place, a garage at Isabellaland at the northern edge of town.

Last weekend (June 5-6) there were drawings on show, communally made by Ioana Ciora and Kevin Schuit.

The drawings show a Felix the Cat-like main character, who is twisting in all directions to survive a non-co-operative world, but who is smiling against all odds. The works were made on the basis of sketches on torn-off scraps of paper.

We discussed the plight of young artists, who have to be as elastic as Felix the Cat these days, being kept busy and put in a rat race by society, while there are so many more important things to be done. Badtime is part of a series of short running shows in the garage at Isabellaland 824, in between two blocks of flats.

As information online about Baracca is very historic – to put it mildly – it might be wise to contact Baracca’s Ibrahim Ineke (ibr.ineke at gmail.com) and ask him to keep you posted about new events.

After all, it is in these small initiatives that the real underground is still trying to deglamourise society.

Ioana Ciora and Baracca’s Ibrahim Ineke in front of the Baracca garage.

Now that you’ve come here, you might as well subscribe to Villa Next Door (top right of the page)!

(All links open in new tabs)

Contents of all photographs courtesy to Ioana Ciora, Kevin Schuit and Baracca, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

VILLA NEXT DOOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADVERTISING ON THIS PAGE!!

Studio visit #11. Jenny Ymker

Some days ago i visited Jenny Ymker (1969) in her studio in Tilburg, the city where I also saw her works for the first time in a group exhibition at PARK.

As i didn’t know her work, it caused a bit of a shock, the wonderful shock of seeing something unexpected and interesting.

Staged photography is the basis of her art, in which she is always the only protagonist.

It can be either an idea or a place – more often the combination of the two – that inspires her, but her photo’s are always real situations; there is never an artificial backdrop.

Even if it means she has to stand in the snow without a winter coat in freezing temperatures, or in other peculiar circumstances.

She showed me an attic full of props she uses for the pictures.

She’s very picky about clothes, shoes, handbags etc. as they must give the right and unique impression of the character in the picture.

On the other hand the protagonist in the picture should also be more or less timeless, free from too much connotations of the present or the past.

We talked a lot about the making of art, the development of ideas and concepts and – of course – about technique.

Some of her compositions are made as models for tapestries, in which, after having them woven, she sometimes embroiders certain parts to give them extra accents.

Weaving needs a lot of extra thought, as it can only be done with a maximum of twelve colours.

So certain colour nuances have to be made in a more or less pointillist technique.

The results are however extraordinary as the tapestries are quite monumental, and there is no raking light, like there would be on paintings or photographs. The colours of the tapestries are totally absorbing.

Of course, Ymker also makes pictures that are not really suitable for a tapestry, but which work very well in a light-box (see picture above).

She also experiments with video, not to make works with a lot of movement or with a story, but just to make slowly moving pictures (see pictures above).

Over all, her works combine a sense of humour and a sense of loneliness.

Because these two fall together so perfectly well in her works, i probably had this shock when seeing them for the first time.

It is a bit strange that her works are usually not shown in the context of photography, especially because she uses such a big potential of photographic possibilities, including printing and projection.

Time passed quickly that afternoon as we discussed a lot, also about all kinds of aspects of being an artist today.

Now that you’ve come here, you might as well subscribe to Villa Next Door (top right of the page)!

(All links open in new tabs)

Contents of all photographs courtesy to Jenny Ymker

Bertus Pieters

VILLA NEXT DOOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADVERTISING ON THIS PAGE!!

	Sonja on Façades of The Hague #144
	sonjavanderburg on Art in corona times 99. Els Sn…
	Bertus Pieters on Art in corona times 92. John N…
	M on Art in corona times 92. John N…
	Bertus Pieters on Façades of The Hague #137