|
Indepth Arts News:
"Atelier van Lieshout"
1999-06-19 until 1999-08-22
Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH,
USA United States of America
When sci-fi meets home improvement,
the results may turn out something like
Joep van Lieshout's work. Van Lieshout
creates mysterious containers, mobile
homes, office units, sensory deprivation
pods and other quirky furnishings. His
enterprising sculptures fall somewhere
between utopian fantasy and utilitarian
sculpture, all flavored with his unique
brand of humor and irony. He distances
his personality from his art by crediting
his work to Atelier (a French term for
'studio' or 'workshop') van Lieshout to
acknowledge its collaborative nature.
The
CAC
exhibition
features
new works, many of them interactive, by the
Dutch artist and his crew. Tampa Skull is an
approximately 7x7x25-foot, mutant mobile
living unit that contains a restroom and kitchen,
a living area, a den and a bedroom - all open
for visitors to explore. Van Lieshout's sensory
deprivation pods often have a strong effect on
participating guests, sometimes producing
feelings of calm and serenity, sometimes
denial and isolation.
The
exhibition
extends outside the CAC's galleries to
nearby Federal Reserve Plaza, where
two large mobile units are placed for
visitors to investigate. Hospital is a fully
equipped medical suite complete with a
waiting room, nurse's station, operating
room, recovery room and all the surgical
instruments and supplies that may be
needed. Still is furnished with sinks,
tanks and measuring devices for
distilling your own alcoholic beverages.
The exhibition is organized by the
Contemporary Art Museum at the
University of Florida and includes a
comprehensive catalog. It is the first
travelling exhibition of van Lieshout's work in the United States and is supported
by the Mondriaan Foundation in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Related Links:
| | 
|
