‘VerteerWezens’ 2017-2020
exhibition in the group show ‘Mirrors of Time’ 2020
curated by Annemie van Laethem, Eric Roux and co-curated by Mat Verberkt, for Castle d’Asprémont-Lynden, in Oud-Reken, B
a selection of various VerteerWezens (2017-2020) and 3 VerteerWezen photo works
here, ‘VerteerWezen 6 (cowering in suitcase)’ 2020, the cut photo work ‘Denkraum’ 2019 and ‘VerteerWezen 3 (reclining black)’ 2017
With a.o. ‘VerteerWezen 7 (lilac shredded)’ 2019:

also on show: ‘VerteerWezen 10 (in yellow arms)’ 2019 / ‘VerteerWezen 11 (protest&berusting)’ 2020 / ‘VerteerWezen 12 (growing teeth)’ 2020 / ‘Petrified Niké’ 2011-2013 / ‘paar’ 1996 (ceramic) / and the repaired ‘reikende’ 1997-2020 (plaster) /
and 2 photo works: ‘behind skins and stones’ 2019 / ‘behind red arms’ 2020

‘Mirrors of Time’ was organised by ForumTri in Kasteel d’Aspremont-Lynden, Oud-Rekem, België between 24-07 and 27-09-2020. With works by Karin Arink, Melanie Bonajo, Bram Braam, Charlotte Caspers, Jeroen Cremers, Erik Croux, Jeroen Eisinga, Eddy Fontaine, Susanne Inglada, Tatiana Istomina, Mehdi-Georges Lahlou, Topp & Dubio, Otobong Nkanga, Thierry Oussou, Marleen Rothaus, Andreas Schmitten, Insa Schulting, Lieven Segers, Slammer!, Gluklya, Berndnaut Smilde, Koen Van Den Broek, Koen Van Mechelen, Malte Bruns en Marta Volkova & Slava Shevelenko.

‘VerteerWezens’ is an ongoing series of spatial objects in papier-mâché, started in 2017. The title can be roughly translated as ‘digested-beings’. In each work, a rejected object or utensil from either my home or my studio is combined with aluminium modelling mesh, cardboard and/or other materials. This is often covered with a layer of papier maché made from shredded left-over papers, magazines, waste paper. In this way, used materials and older art works are “digested” by turning them into creatures/beings.
By photographing myself behind/with these sculptures, the relation between the affect-rich object and my concrete physical body becomes clear.
The series ‘VerteerWezens’ is ongoing, and so are the related photo works.

all ‘VerteerWezen’ works: ‘VerteerWezen 1 (crouching orange)’ 2017 / ‘VerteerWezen 2 (standing blue)’ 2018 / ‘VerteerWezen 3 (reclining black)’ 2017 / ‘VerteerWezen 4 (lying greens)’ 2018 / ‘VerteerWezen 5 (red arms)’ 2018 / ‘VerteerWezen 6 (cowering in suitcase)’ 2020 / ‘VerteerWezen 7 (lilac shredded)’ 2019 / ‘VerteerWezen 8 (red DenkRaum)’ 2019 > ‘DenkRaum’ 2019 (photo) / ‘VerteerWezen 9 (skins and stones)’ 2019 / ‘VerteerWezen 10 (in yellow arms)’ 2019 / ‘VerteerWezen 11 (protest&berusting)’ 2020 / ‘VerteerWezen 12 (growing teeth)’ 2020 / ‘VerteerWezen 13 (carrying sleigh)’ 2020-2023 / ‘VerteerWezen 14 (embrace rejection)’ 1984-2021 / ‘AAN-balance together’ 2021 / ‘VerteerWezen 15 (retrieved arms)’ 2020-2022 / ‘VerteerWezen 16 (white shield)’ 2021-2022 / ‘VerteerWezen 17 (open up - remade)’ 2003-2023 / ‘VerteerWezen 18 (bird cover)’ 1977- / ‘VerteerWezen 19 (old pain) 1984- / ‘VerteerWezen 20 (snowwhite revisited)’ 2022-2023 /

all ‘VerteerWezen’ photo works: ‘DenkRaum’ 2019 / ‘behind skins and stones’ 2019 / ‘behind red arms’ 2020 / ‘behind shredded lilac’ 2019 / ‘embracing rejection’ 2021 / ‘behind arms’ 2022 / ‘hiding behind witheid (whiteness)’ 2022 / ‘GreenDressFun’ 2021-2023 /

other ‘VerteerWezens’ exhibitions: ‘VerteerWezens in Mirrors of Time’ in Castle d’Asprémont-Lynden Oud-Rekem Belgium, curated by Annemie van Laethem and Eric Roux with a new selection of VerteerWezens > publication / ‘VerteerWezens (handed down, revalued)’ solo exhibition in De Anningahof (until October 2023) /

other ‘solo’ exhibitions: ‘Manifold mumbag & fragments of the white visions’ / ‘Karin Arink - States of Self’ retrospective Stedelijk Museum Schiedam 2008 / ‘Kleider machen Kunst’, duo with Reinhold Engberding, Gerhard Marcks Haus Bremen D 2011 / ‘All attitudes, all shapeliness, all belongings’ (Walt Whitman, I Sing The Body Electric) Main Room RAM gallery Rotterdam
/ ‘Club Solo’ 2016 / ‘but Arm in Arm with Touch’ first ever online solo on GalleryViewer via RAM Galerie (external link)/

My sculptures never have been objects to me; they are intermediaries between an aspect of me and the outside world, the viewer. My visual method is as i have been doing for years: i focus on a core of experience, and on the physical ‘affect-rich’ responses i have to this experience and the concepts related to it. By materializing these, i depict different ‘states of self’.