CHRISTIAN VAN DER KAAP (live): It's a pity he's ugly, otherwise I'd marry him

Monday, January 31, 2011

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

Artist statement

Christian van der Kaap (Enschede, NL 1989) likes to ask other people to make his work. But not to be seen as lazy, the artist invests in this precarious relationship by committing to their work, language, voice and handwriting. Meaning that every time we recognize his work we see the hand of someone else. By doing so he tries to implement himself and then dissolve into an existing production. It aims to show how we rely on others. Uncovering themes as loneliness (in his recent magazine about loneliness called C.I.N.V.U), independence, talent and uncertainty. The work is often described as a language between people who may not fully understand each other, but where an effort is made anyway. But while making use of other peoples words, the work remains close to his life and personal experience. This and things you do and don't understand empower the artist (inspiring others) to keep making.