I might be a bit biased when it comes to writing about exhibitions at the art platform where I work, but it’s such an honour to work for such an inspiring exhibition space that I can do nothing but write in awe about another amazing exhibition that has recently opened at Kunstpodium T in Tilburg. I have been working here now since June and closely followed the preparations of the tenth Apprentice Master season. In October, a couple of dozen participating artists came to Tilburg to meet us and eachother during the Kick-Off Week and ever since that week, I’ve been dying to find out what these inspiring artists would come up with during the exhibitions.
The first of the in total thirteen exhibitions this season opened on Thursday 16 November under the title ‘In—Between show: Simularity and difference’. Exhibiting are two apprentices: the recently graduated 0031anke, an artist duo from the HKU in Utrecht, and Maria Gil Ulldemolins from PXL-MAD in Hasselt, who not only makes amazing work, but also was my vegan companion during the Kick-Off week in October! Their master is the Dutch renowned artist Marten Hendriks.
For those of you not familiar with the project, the Apprentice Master project gives young, recently graduated artists from several European academies the change to work closely together with international peers and renowned (Dutch) artists. A group of around 50 apprentices are selected, from which around 15 smaller groups are formed, which each are assigned one master. These groups interact, engage in discussion, exchange ideas and experience together, which eventually results in an exhibition. Each group will have a final exhibition.
The project gives young artists the opportunity to receive (peer) feedback after the academy, put on one of their first exhibitions, expand their network, learn from other artists and gather knowledge about how to set up an exhibition and how to run your art practice.
So. Back to the exhibition. The presentation is situated in the four exhibition ‘chambers’. The three participating artists have chosen not to have each a room of their own, but instead they have hung their works scattered across the rooms so they can interact with each other. When I was speaking to the apprentices at the opening, they unanimously agreed that it has been a magical collaboration and interaction with their master; when they first saw each other’s works, it just clicked. This clearly shows in the cohesiveness of the exhibition. There is no hierarchy in the works; both thematically and aesthetically they complement each other perfectly.
The exhibition’s title is ‘In-Between show. Simularity and difference’ and it deals with the space between the body, the ‘self’, and everything else. In the space that is ‘in-between’, our senses mediate between these two worlds. But senses are always subjective: what one sees, is not necessarily the truth. The exhibition also deals with this discrepancy: how can we trust what we perceive when everything we see is subjective?
Maria Gil Ulldemolins’ Golden Room is a perfect example of this friction between what we see and what is actually there. The work is a room with four walls that are suspended emergency blankets that gently float when wind moves them. When you enter the room on a bright day, you can see through the thin sheets. Reality alters and what you see, is actually the ‘in-between’ space: you are seeing the outside world, but at the same time it’s altered by the reflection of the silver-coloured blanket.
wat is dat voor wezen by 0031anke is another work where this gap between the objective and subjective reality is explored. By placing a mirror that is perfectly in line with the surrounding stones, an optical illusion is created.
The exhibition offers food for thought, but also shows a wide range of craftsmanship. Marten Hendriks is a renowned artist with decades of experience and it shows in the different media that he uses. He displays photographs and collages for instance, but in his big oeuvre there is also room for painting, sculptures and computer drawings. The same goes for the works of the apprentices. The duo 0031anke combines their skills wonderfully by creating a wide range of different artworks to get their ideas across, such as video, ceramics and sculpture. The same goes for Maria Gil Ulldemolins’ work, who even uses less convential materials like soap, confetti and beeswax. This gives the exhibition a very varied nature, which makes it a true pleasure to wonder around and soak it all in. In-Between show is a truly great presentation that is the result of an extraordinary collaboration between different artists.
Linda lives! 