Michiel Kluiters
22 May - 26 Jun 2010
MICHIEL KLUITERS
"Particle "
Opening Saturday 22 May 17-19h
Exhibition 22/05/10 - 26/06/10
Gallery Hours Tue-Fri 11-18h / Sat 13-18h
1st Sunday of the month 14-17h
In “Particle”, a new work created for Ellen de Bruijne Projects, Michiel Kluiters has decided to challenge his own practice in a particular way. Working in the medium of site-specific architectural interventions, the challenge was to react to the parameters of the same gallery space for the third time. In his first piece produced here, entitled “Room 9 and 10” (2002), Kluiters had altered the perception of the gallery by using large-scale photographs of the actual space; this intervention extended the visual field not only by incorporating the third dimension into the photographs, but also by revealing the hidden ‘back-stage’ of the gallery space. In his second intervention entitled “Mesh” (2005), the empty gallery space was transformed by the multiplication of white pillars, interrupting the navigation of the visitors and juxtaposing it to the video of vacant new urban development areas in the Netherlands. Michiel Kluiters’ third confrontation with this space comes in the form of an object, a 2.5 m wide geometrical ball shape consisting of 96 large mirror particles.
“Particle” is a silent, static, gigantic reflecting object of an almost alien nature, with the power to blend two usually separated levels of perception. On the first level, the perception of the gallery space is multiplied through its fragmented reflection, while the second level now directly interpolates the subject of a silent observer. The gaze of the viewer is deconstructed and returned in its fragmented form, destroying the assumed objectivity of rational contemplation normally practiced in contemporary exhibition spaces. This necessity to include a human observer in any theory about space evokes the thinking of one of the most important quantum physicists, David Bohm. In his vision of reality, Bohm saw elementary particles as a collection of silver balls, where each ball reflects every other one, including itself. According to this, the universe is characterized by infinite reflectivity in which each part is contained in everything else. In a similar manner, Kluiter’s defragmented mirroring surface opens up numerous levels for reflection and interpretation, including the one of possibly being a metaphor of an artist who has taken upon the task to reflect upon his own practice.
After a series of works executed mainly in traditional exhibition spaces, Michiel Kluiters has decided to present his work in the last years in more challenging environments. Hence, he is participating in public commissions in various towns in the Netherlands, intervening into the public space within different social and political contexts: “Confetti” (2010) Sports campus, Wijchen; “Tijdruimte” (2010), City Hall, Veenendaal; “Oranjerie” (2011), City Hall, Haren; “Hotspots” (2011) Education Boulevard Lewenborg, Groningen, "Polaris" (2011) Minkema College, Woerden. In 2009, The Netherlands Media Art Institute (NIMk) Amsterdam has awarded Michiel Kluiters the contract to design the Media Art Mobile with which the NIMk will travel to schools, festivals and other venues, now in pre-production phase.
[Vesna Madzoski]
"Particle "
Opening Saturday 22 May 17-19h
Exhibition 22/05/10 - 26/06/10
Gallery Hours Tue-Fri 11-18h / Sat 13-18h
1st Sunday of the month 14-17h
In “Particle”, a new work created for Ellen de Bruijne Projects, Michiel Kluiters has decided to challenge his own practice in a particular way. Working in the medium of site-specific architectural interventions, the challenge was to react to the parameters of the same gallery space for the third time. In his first piece produced here, entitled “Room 9 and 10” (2002), Kluiters had altered the perception of the gallery by using large-scale photographs of the actual space; this intervention extended the visual field not only by incorporating the third dimension into the photographs, but also by revealing the hidden ‘back-stage’ of the gallery space. In his second intervention entitled “Mesh” (2005), the empty gallery space was transformed by the multiplication of white pillars, interrupting the navigation of the visitors and juxtaposing it to the video of vacant new urban development areas in the Netherlands. Michiel Kluiters’ third confrontation with this space comes in the form of an object, a 2.5 m wide geometrical ball shape consisting of 96 large mirror particles.
“Particle” is a silent, static, gigantic reflecting object of an almost alien nature, with the power to blend two usually separated levels of perception. On the first level, the perception of the gallery space is multiplied through its fragmented reflection, while the second level now directly interpolates the subject of a silent observer. The gaze of the viewer is deconstructed and returned in its fragmented form, destroying the assumed objectivity of rational contemplation normally practiced in contemporary exhibition spaces. This necessity to include a human observer in any theory about space evokes the thinking of one of the most important quantum physicists, David Bohm. In his vision of reality, Bohm saw elementary particles as a collection of silver balls, where each ball reflects every other one, including itself. According to this, the universe is characterized by infinite reflectivity in which each part is contained in everything else. In a similar manner, Kluiter’s defragmented mirroring surface opens up numerous levels for reflection and interpretation, including the one of possibly being a metaphor of an artist who has taken upon the task to reflect upon his own practice.
After a series of works executed mainly in traditional exhibition spaces, Michiel Kluiters has decided to present his work in the last years in more challenging environments. Hence, he is participating in public commissions in various towns in the Netherlands, intervening into the public space within different social and political contexts: “Confetti” (2010) Sports campus, Wijchen; “Tijdruimte” (2010), City Hall, Veenendaal; “Oranjerie” (2011), City Hall, Haren; “Hotspots” (2011) Education Boulevard Lewenborg, Groningen, "Polaris" (2011) Minkema College, Woerden. In 2009, The Netherlands Media Art Institute (NIMk) Amsterdam has awarded Michiel Kluiters the contract to design the Media Art Mobile with which the NIMk will travel to schools, festivals and other venues, now in pre-production phase.
[Vesna Madzoski]