sunburn
and fortis
commentary
and image by Karin Bos
published
15 september 2008 Bohemian Aesthetic e-zine, Los Angeles
amsterdam
dispatch | volume 1 •
number 3
Summer
in Amsterdam mainly means a lot of rain; but, every now and then,
there's a hot, sunny day. This causes huge traffic jams from
Amsterdam towards Zandvoort, the town with the nearest beach—a
beach is so crowded that one can barely make out the North sea. Art
lovers, however, are smarter; they take the bus to IJmuiden, a bit
further away, where the beach is almost empty and where they never
forget to stop in at RC
de Ruimte. Every
summer, that exhibition space organizes a huge contemporary art show
entitled "Quantum Vis". There's plenty to see there. In
fact, this year's show features 88 artists. I'm amazed at the
exhibit's balance—so many artists (and so diverse!) who brought
large works, yet it feels anything but claustrophobic.
The
masterminds behind this are Joop Stoop,
visual artist, and his wife, Lieke Wagemaker,
who started RC de Ruimte in 2004. The building formerly housed a
church and the tower, these days, is decorated with Duchampian
toilet pots. Not everybody in tiny IJmuiden was amused when they
noticed Stoops art, back then.
By
building an extensive network, RC de Ruimte has succeeded in
attracting many interesting artists to participate in group shows.
Through their "multi-media dinner" evenings, when big man
Stoop cooks a big meal larded with live video-drawing, live music, or
artists lectures, the audience as well as the participating artists
are able to see the show, meet each other, and dine—all at the same
time. This has proven to be a fruitful mixture for the non-profit
space.
As
a participating artist in QuantumVis #4, I attended the opening party
on June 28, where so many artists were present that half of the
street was blocked by all the tables with food outside. Next to good
company and good food, I also saw some pretty good art that evening.
One
of my favorite pieces in the show is a ceramic sculpture by Bastienne
Kramer ("Baarn 1961"). The glazed
figure reminds me of the deformed embryos I've seen at the anatomic
Museum
Vrolik, here in Amsterdam—especially the
figure's head with its too small face. The sculpture is a little
smaller than life-size, which enhances the sympathy it evokes. Poor
unfortunate, weird creature… symmetrical, as if two halves are
stuck together to make one person. Symmetry is a symbol of beauty,
but here something went wrong. The twin parts aren't merged to meet
their perfect soul mate or better half. The result is an alien
guarding the exhibition.
For
people with a strong stomach, the Vrolik Museum is an interesting
visit. I spent a couple of days there sketching "Siamese Twins",
unborn mermaids and other highly intriguing anatomical specimens put
into spirits.
After
a while, though, I started to see them in my dreams and decided that
I should leave it to the scientists. My ‘pathological anatomical'
project is officially finished. For those who want to visit the
museum anyway: It's located in the Academic Medical Centre of
Amsterdam, a hospital also famous for its contemporary art
collection. Which is a plus; if you discover that the bone collection
isn't what you'd hoped for, the artwork just might make up for it.
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| Siamese Twins by Karin Bos |
