Univocally, 2012

The first out of seven...

http://gerb95.ru/

Dichtbij.nl

Taken from a billboard in Russia, where neither word nor letter looked familiar, this striking but unidentifiable logo of a company seems to bear a universal language. The action portrayed by the stylized hands seems as though its promoting a symbolic but ambiguous gesture from a maker to a receiver. The receiver present in the logo seems to gladly acknowledge the wholehearted gesture. The viewer on the other hand, invited to witness this transaction, remains uncertain of its significance. I liberated this image from it's original context and delivered it to the dutch website www.dichtbij.nl [English: 'nearby'] a website directing its visitors to local news and advertisements by use of their given postal codes. The website agreed to place this logo for a short amount of time on every page regardless of the visitors present location. Exploring the notion of empathy between a sender vs. receiver and a local vs. universal context.

Univocally, 2012

The presentation Univocally is an investigation into the ethics of cooperation and a reflection on contemporary crafts. Finally not ambiguous and multi-interpretable title. Since my first solo exhibition (SOLO: the maker ain't so lonely as before, 2010) I have aimed to produce work conducted by others. Driven by the theme of loneliness, I have invited craftsmen to make work attributed to an insecure and unfamiliar situation. The voice of the craftsman which has become known as merely executive, is asked to reassert itselves in the arts and towards the viewer. The open dialogue between artist and maker produces an unpredictable voice that appeals to the public even though it might not be fully understood. As a result of an intimate collaboration in which I restored an old mould for a porcelain producer in Krasnodar, Russia a series of seven (of which six hand painted) bells are created. 'Univocally' expresses their understanding of the production process, where all employees are required to look in the same direction in order to deliver a successful product. Indicating my desire as an artist to enter into an existing production, we speak from one mouth and explore the form and sound of a bell. As a result, various voices inside and outside the arts together create a single presentation. A sound for those who like to relate to art but are uncertain about their contribution.

More Soon...

Sculpture workshop, Krasnodar

As part of my residency in Krasnodar, I was invited to give a lecture and sculpture workshop at the University's art faculty. The lecture and workshop was about stones, inspired by my recent project 'When you sell the stuff you're fixing' presented at the Zoldermuseum, Lawrence Weiner, Jasper Coppes' work about the art of looking at stones and the wall drawings at Gorjachi Kluch.

Starting of the workshop, I asked the students to bring a single object, which formed the starting point for their stone sculptures and would finally buried inside. One girl listened to her Ipod inside, while another lost her silver ring. The students will be working towards their first public exhibition.

Vernacular Sculpture, 2011

Title: Height, Date of original production: 1960

Title: Girl sculpts a dove, Date of original production: unknown

Title: golden ass, Date of original production: 1964


During my residency in Krasnodar, Russia I got in contact with a small porcelain sculpture facility in the area. In difficult economical times the large porcelain sculpture factory 'Чайка' was forced to close. Well known for their objects for domestic use. Depicting leisuring workers, mothers and known stories. These guys got their hands on some of the old moulds left outside the factory. We agreed on a collaboration, in which they allowed me produce a new sculpture based on one of these master molds.

More Soon!

How sculpture can support us? / Slideshow

Evening Talk – How sculpture can support us? 03/07

Setting foot in florence for a field trip, which I planned to make a leather apron I got lost in a city people call Florence. Not truly lost, since as an artist I trained myself to do so and educated myself with a odd sense of orientation. One that at least keeps me occupied. And I remembered a phrase my mother uttered when she lost something in the house. Sint Antonius goede vrind maak dat ik mijn schoen weer vindt. Or: St Anthony my old friend, make my find my shoes again. For every single thing she lost, she'd call this divine providence to aid her in her search. I made myself to look for him, since I was suspicious of his strength. Every time I lost myself I would look for the presence of his image which was plentiful in the city and once I found him, I took a picture. Anthony I've been told, is the guardian of lost objects and I don't think lost souls.

Anthony comes in many forms. But in most cases I found him he looked away from us. Not the kind of looking away like the great heroins of the past, nor a gaze of humility or desperation But of a strange and almost amorphous kind. That is how I recognized him. Looking out for someone who, when I found him turned his look down, but his eyes up. A little autistic looking, asking for compassion with his situation but refusing to give a lot of insight in what that situation may be. With this strange unwanted unreachability he became the patron of (I read) many things, the poor, the baker, the traveller, the wedded and the feverish. And another thing I found was that he was always holding something. Unlike like many other sculptures which object they'd be holding signified their function, status or predicament. Anthony was always holding something else, making him much harder to identify. Sometimes it was baby jesus, sometimes a pendant, sometimes a plant and it was as though for everything he's holding, he's holding something back as well. This is how, I believe he quickly became the patron of lost things. [...]

Evening talk 03/07: How sculpture can support us?

"Christian van der Kaap will give an evening talk on the 3rd of July 2011 from 9-10 PM in the Zolder Museum. For reservations please contact zoldermuseum@gmail.com"

http://www.zoldermuseum.com/wordpress/?p=77

Zoldermuseum presents:

When you sell the stuff you're fixing, 2011

When you sell the stuff you're fixing (sneak preview)

18/06 03/07 ZOLDER MUSEUM www.zoldermuseum.com

Opening 18/06 20:30

Special Thanks to:

_David Kaus and Denis French of the National Museum of Australia, Melbourne. For replying to my every enquiry about the 'interactive object from the indigenous section intended to give visitors some experience in using grinding stones.' (www.nma.gov.au)

_Ewa Perlejewska of Olctyn, Poland - Ceramist, Porcelain specialist

_Lanfranco Sernesi from Monaco Metropolitano of Florence, Italy. Traditional solutions to the contemporary needs of workers, students and travelers counting on the research for harmony to resolve any apparent contradiction (www.monacometropolitano.com)

_Mark Palmans from Atelier L'ombelico, Neerpelt, Belgium - Letterpress, roadsignals, cavedrawings, 3d chrome, afro art, references, contact (www.letterzetter.be)

When you sell the stuff you're fixing
Coming soon
18/06 - 03/07

Zolder museum
Www.zoldermuseum.com

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Leer, 2011

As a succession to the SOLO project I visited Florence, Italy with the plan to make a fine leather apron with a craftsman. Accepting it as a gift I promised to commit myself to making again. I got captivated by the craft and the transformation of leather over time. I decided to order two 'identical' aprons. One made for wearing, the other for presenting.

The Guardian, 2011

I presented a number of works in the context of an evaluation at the academy. Another attempt the curate works in an exhibition. Each student invited up to five experts. An expert of your work can be a good friend, colleague from work, one you always wanted to show what you're up to or someone who works in a completely different discipline, but whose natural authority bridges that gap. These people are approached as exclusive guests of the exhibition. Making it into a special chance give ones work away in confidence. Given my interest in asking people to do things for me, I have seized this opportunity to invite my experts to speak about the history of sculpture in accordance to my work. In response to this invitation, they will became part of the work "The Guardian, 2011"

Opening 16th february 16.30. On show till 18.02.2011 in the exhibition 'And by the way, this picture has great significance because... in the KABK gallery

All the single ladies, 2011

An onyx sculpture made for carrying in your pocket.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

It's a pity he's ugly, otherwise I'd marry him

During the presentation of your work in a group, there are always works you hate or are ashamed of sharing the same space with. Sometimes it is the space itself that destroys your work completely. Willy-nilly, you learn to make your work so that it can withstand this inevitable evil. In this exhibition, artist entrusted the presentation of their work to their fellow artists. From this grows a love relationship from which something is created that no longer is fully part of them. Amid the (fertile) voltage between curating and creating, these works are exhibited.   

29.01.2011 In the Royal Gallery, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, The Hague

Ana Lemnaru for Pernille Lonstrup
Christian van der Kaap for Iva Supic Jankovic
Christian van der Kaap for Aimee Zito Lema
Eva Pel for Iva Supic Jankovic
Isfrid Siljehaug for Eva Pel
Iva Supic Jankovic for Sara Campos
Kaja Wie van der Pas for Laure van den Hout
Kristina Benjocki for Robin Waart
Laure van den Hout for Kaja Wie van der Pas
Miguel Peres dos Santos for Ana Lemnaru
Miguel Peres dos Santos for Kristina Benjocki
Pernille Lonstrup for Isfrid Siljehaug
Robin Waart for Phil Bosch
Robin Waart for Christian van der Kaap

Robin Waart for Christian van der Kaap

Pure M, carved out chocolate letter, 2010

Pure M, 2010

Pure M, 2010 (carved out chocolate letter 'M'  presented in box)

as a gift for Marina Elenskaya