CHRISTIAN VAN DER KAAP (live): September 2011

Friday, September 30, 2011

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!

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.