Jeroen de Rijke Willem de Rooij

8/13/2019 Jeroen de Rijke Willem de Rooij

1/47

Summary :

Jeroen de Rijke / Willem de Rooij 2

texts from the catalogue

Gianfranco Maraniello (ore!ord" #

Julian $eynen (ore!ord % &he 'olitics of olors" )

Sa*eth +uchmann (,range -s More than a olor" .

nn Goldstein (Se0arate and &ogether" 22

ndrea 1iliani (ra*ian ights" 23

ndrea 1iliani (4ui0aard" 56

Works in ehxi*itions 53

-nfo #5


2/47

Press ReleaseJeroen de Rijke / Willem de Rooij

Since the start of their colla*oration in 733# 8utch artists Jeroen de Rijke (739 ; 2)"and Willem de Rooij (*< 73)3" ha=e 0roduced a select cor0us of 56mm and 7)mm films>0hotogra0hs> o*jects> installations and texts< &heir colla*orati=e !ork analyses the

con=entions of 0resentation and re0resentation> and ex0lores the areas of tension*et!een socio0olitical and autonomous image 0roduction 8@sseldorf>!hich took 0lace from 8ecem*er 29 to 0ril 2.< Aach of these t!o sho!shighlights a different selection of de Rijke / de RooijBs !orks from the last ten years>as !ell as documentation and source material as the ne! installation 0roduced !ith the hel0 of the ineteca di+ologna and ins0ired *y 'ier 'aolo 'asoliniBs-l fiore delle mille e una notte (739#" a num*er ofdifferent 0hotogra0hic !orks and the installation +ouFuet -1(26"< Mandarin 8ucksis a highly styliEed con=ersation 0iece> in !hich ten characters negotiate 0hysicaland emotional s0ace !ithin a modernist domestic interior< +antar Ge*angjuxta0osesthe =isual s0lendor of a tro0ical sunset o=er an -ndonesian slum !ith the daily realityof that same location< -Cm oming $ome in orty 8ays> a circumna=igation of an

ice*erg in Greenland> oscillates *et!een a*straction and realistic de0iction of thelandsca0e< +ouFuet -1reflects on the 0hotogra0hic translation from color into *lackand !hite< -n the sho! at MM*o a 0art of the exhi*ition &ogether(MagaEin#>+regenE> 26" is also reconstructed> and t!o creations of 8utch fashion designerong%4eng (*< 735." are sho!n together for the first time:4ui0aardand its modernre0lica 4ui0aard --< ,riginating from t!o different 0u*lic collections in theetherlands> this duo of extra=agant golden dresses tells a self%reflexi=e tale a*outthe liaison *et!een exoticism and economy> society life and culture in 739smsterdam< +oth dresses also relate to t!o installations Willem de Rooij 0roduced forGalerie hantal rousel in 'aris (2)" and Galerie 8aniel +uchholE in ologne (29" the 0eculiar selection of

2


3/47

de Rijke / de RooijBs !orks 0resented at MM*o sha0es a com0lex do00elgangerentity> !hich a=oid the features and the =ery idea of a sur=ey sho! !hich is accom0anied *y a ne! exhi*ition catalogue(0u*lished *y Snoeck> ?ln" !ith ne! texts *y Sa*eth +uchmann> Willem de Rooij> nn

Goldstein> Julian $eynen> Gianfranco Maraniello and ndrea 1iliani in 0ercei=ing the need for the t!o stages of the e=ent to reflect eachother and function in tandem in a dialectic that extends *eyond a *anal ada0tationof a single 0roject to *e mo=ed and re0licated in different locations< &his is the onlya00roach for those !ho see art as a means of image 0sychogenesis> analyEing notonly the internal statute of the !ork *ut the =ery conditions of ho! it ha00ens< &hefilms and 0hotogra0hs> as !ell as the layouts of de Rijke / de Rooij ine=ita*ly lead toa shift from the 0resence of the images dis0layed to their 0otential> o*liging theo*ser=er to!ards an a!areness that shifts from aesthetic a00reciation to!ards theenhancement of a!areness> from encountering !hat Hthere isB *efore us to thetransitory contingency of re0resentation of !hich to ackno!ledge the hiddenideological 0remisethe institutions !hich house or 0roduce their !orks cannot ignore this as0ect< +yacce0ting to *e not only the 0lace *ut also the material of an analysis !hichtransforms the container into contained> the museum *ecomes 0art of the !ork of thet!o artists *y allo!ing the exhi*ition to 0resent the need for a com0lementD for it to*e accom0anied *y> or rather realiEe itself *y its o!n a*sence in an im0ractica*ility!hich in this case referring to a Ht!in museumB is highly suita*le< -n 0recise language>and 0ercei=ing a rhetorical tool in etymology for !ho is !riting and intending tocorres0ond to the deconstructionist logic of the artists> the 0roject of this exhi*ition*ecomes Isym*olic offering itself e=en in a tragic manifestation of a*sence< -ndeed>the origins of sym*olon(from the =er* sym*allein: kee0 together> 0lace alongside" isnothing other than the name of a s0lit coin or o*ject> namely a *roken unity< &he t!ohal=es are to *e used as a sign of recognition *y =irtue of the o*=ious and exclusi=e

com0lementarity of one !ith the other< 8es0ite the sym*ol 0remising an original unity>it only occurs in se0arationKthe fracture that unites the t!o hal=es to 0roduce therelationshi0 *et!een 0arts that refer to each other> Hto each other from each other - !ish to thank Julian $eynen and all the staff of ?27 for sharingand inter0reting these organiEational reFuirements !ith extraordinary humanity and0rofessionalism< We are dee0ly inde*ted to all the collectors> galleries> critics> andinstitutions that lo=e> res0ect> and su00ort the !ork of de Rijke / de Rooij and> a*o=eall> !ith all those !ho !ill continue to do so in the future< $eartfelt thanks to those!ho contri*uted to creating this catalogueKfirst of all the t!o authors and MarthaStuttereggerKKand the exhi*itions in 8@sseldorf and +ologna< &his e=ent !ould not

4


5/47

ha=e *een 0ossi*le !ithout the =alua*le contri*ution of the Mondriaan Stichting andthe Am*assy of the ?ingdom of the etherlands< -n addition> and yet again> MM*o!as a*le to count on the a=aila*ility of the ineteca of the ity of +ologna !hich>!ith the generosity of its 8irector Gian 4uca arinelli and the enthusiasm of its staff>has *ecome much more than an institution !ith !hich to share 0rojects< MM*o!ould not exist !ithout the contri*ution of the Amilia%Romagna Region> the su00ort ofondaEione del Monte di +ologna e Ra=enna and the determining action theondaEione assa di Ris0armio in +olognathat - !ish to turn a last thought to Willem de Rooij for succeeding in kee0ing us in asort of Hdue =icinityB> in a limit !hich ena*led us to remain faithful to the 0roject andres0ectful of the roles> *eyond !hich !e !ould find oursel=es inexora*ly inadeFuate ,r nge(2#": &he 0rojector thro!s the calm> Fuiet rectangle of a slideonto the screen< &he eye is 0lunged into a uniform> translucent color 0henomenonthat seems to *e as manifest as it is e0hemeral< fter a !hile the image changes: asecond shade of orange< &o the steady *eat of the slide 0rojector> e=er%ne! shadesof the color come into =ie!< o!here on the surface (or is it a s0aceL" are there anyreference 0oints< We register the !ay that the one color fluctuates in this and thatdirection< et as soon as !e attem0t to recall the nuance !e ha=e just seen anddescri*e ho! it differs from the one !e are seeing no!> consciousness sli0s *ack intothe general field Iorange!hat language 0ur0orts to ca0ture is a continuum of *e!ildering =ariations ho!e=er> makes it seem to*e something extremely inde0endent> indeed 0erha0s a summum of art in themodern sense< 8e Rijke / de Rooij sometimes make this 0ainfully clear> *ecause theyex0loit the full 0otential of colors> 0ushing them to the limits of their 0o!er to signify>to the 0oint !here they no longer mean> *ut merely are< -ndeed> *y doing so theydeli*erately e=oke ; *oth affirmati=ely and critically ; the modern 0aradigm ofautonomy> !hose meaning has *ecome uncertain color is also that element in all =isual ex0erience that a!akens dee0lyrooted associations> !hich may *e hidden from consciousness or may also *eextremely ex0licit< or exam0le> for an o*ser=er !ho does not just see the 0olitics in

the ne!s images *ut critically connects its =isual signals !ith the e=ents> the eye%catching orange o=eralls !orn *y the 0risoners at Guantanamo +ay can make such astrong im0ression that from this 0oint on e=en the most a*stract form of orange islinked to that 0lace and its meaning> !hich cannot *e *anished from the 0erce0tionof the color in general< ,r to choose another exam0le: for a nati=e of theetherlands> this color is inextrica*ly linked to the real or asserted identity of hiscountry ; from the festi=e mood of soccer and the royal house to nationalistic>xeno0ho*ic 0roclamations< (ll of these exam0les are gi=en *y the artists themsel=esin a text that forms 0art of the !ork for long stretches> modernity

6


7/47

has forgotten ho! to confront or has delegated to esoteric su*cultures< -ne=ita*ly>ho!e=er> consciousness !anders out of this ex0eriential realm> 0ursuing =aguechains of associations or concrete com0arisons *ack to em0irical reference 0ointslike the ones descri*ed a*o=e< &hus> e=en this most general form of *eauty is not as0ace a0art< ,n the contrary> reality> !ith all its un0redicta*le facets> can 0enetrateinto it too at any moment< Moreo=er> de Rijke / de Rooij re0eatedly sho! in their!orks that the re=erse is also true and that there is no !all *et!een ethics andaesthetics a*out the circumstances !hich seem to *e t!oas0ects of a larger sho!> it made sense to *ring them together in this joint catalogue many thanks to our colleagues there> Gianfranco Maraniello and ndrea

1iliani< &hanks are also due to the three authors of the catalogue> Sa*eth +uchmann>nn Goldstein> and ndrea 1iliani> !ho offer different 0ers0ecti=es on the artistsB!ork> as !ell as to the *ook designer> Martha Stutteregger< &hroughout the0re0aration of the exhi*ition and catalogue> !e recei=ed the tried and testedsu00ort of the Galerie 8aniel +uchholE ; my heartfelt thanks go to it and tohristo0her M@ller< - !ould also like to thank e=eryone on the ?27 team> es0ecially thetechnical director> +ernd Schlie0hake> and my colleagues Stefanie Jansen and-sa*elle MalE> for their careful !ork and 0erse=erance< inally> - am enormouslygrateful to the Mondriaan Stichting and the la! firm of White N ase 44'> !hofinancially su00orted the exhi*ition of these t!o 8utch artists in 8@sseldorf the motif of the sunrise has clearlylost nothing of the atmos0heric aura that ca0ti=ates us in Jeroen de RijkeBs and

Willem de RooijBs film +antar Ge*ang(2"< et the *righter the sun *ecomes> themore !e *ecome a!are that our gaEe is identified !ith that of a camera focused ona 0lace !e recogniEe as a slum *uilt on to0 of a gar*age dum0< lthough thecamera a00ears to *e 0ositioned on a hill some distance a!ay> the shot> !hichseems to ha=e *een chosen !ith 0lanimetric considerations in mind> suggests that itis inside the gar*age dum0 that surrounds the collection of huts< &he shot !ill remainunchanged throughout the entire 56mm color film< &hus for the ten minutes that itlasts all !e !ill see is a fe! 0eo0le going a*out their !orkKand in *et!een> *irdsand chickens fluttering and fla00ing their !ings> the *arking of a dog> and the soundof someone clearing their throat> !hich seems to come from a 0erson *ehind thecamera< 8ocumented *y that camera> it is HrealB indications like these of a life thata00arently feels itself uno*ser=ed that lend to the static filmic image an innermo=ement that remains external to it< $o!e=er> the length of the film 0reciselycoincides !ith the maximum 0ossi*le length of a single take> and in this sense theunedited image does not 0resent itself as a ra!> un0rocessed document *uthighlights its formally mediated relationshi0 !ith the o*ject of re0resentation> arelationshi0 that 0oints to technical standards> as a com0osition of framing> lighting>and length of take< -ndexicaliEed in this !ay> the relationshi0 of camera and imagethematiEes the artistic intention as an act of differentiation *et!een !hat is sho!nand !hat falls outside the selected frame< &hus it is u0 to the o0tical soundtrack tofurnish a sensuously 0erce0ti*le link to the in=isi*le 0osition of the camera and thes0ace it constructs< While +antar Ge*ange=okes the con=entions of documentaryfilm> its setting o*scures them< &he film> after all> consists of a HsingleB frame> !hich isrestricted to an exterior =ie! of the slum> !hich is atmos0herically suffused !ith themorning light< rom an aesthetic 0ers0ecti=e> then> the !ork is reminiscent of an art%

historical slide 0resentation on (0re%"im0ressionist landsca0e 0ainting< $ence the0rojected image does not a00ear as asinglemedium *ut rather as a montage> atonce technical and referential> of multi0le media> a montage com*ining contraryforms of tem0oral 0erce0tion< &he singularity of the HframeB thus has its counter0art inthe 0erce0tion of a durationKat once extended and finiteKof =isual 0resence as theex0ression of a 0otentially infinite technical re0roduci*ility of time< -n +antar Ge*ang>as in serial !orks of the 73)s> time *ecomes an action2!ith its o!n 0eculiar dynamic>!ithout fulfilling the classical con=entions of narration these forms

1

d=ertising slogan of P8 (P!eites 8eutsches ernsehen"


9/47

sought to *reak the illusionism of the 0ictorial s0ace of central 0ers0ecti=e *ytem0oraliEing the surface of the image> in order to 0lace it in an o*jecti=erelationshi0 !ith the fragmentarily re0resented !orld< 're=iously> 0hotogra0hy andlater early film had entered into an almost scientifically moti=ated ri=alry !ith0ainting< t issue !as the a*ility to re0resent as authentically as 0ossi*le !orlds that!ere foreign to the consumers of the images< &he same am*ition is already at !ork in8utch 0ainting of the sixteenth and se=enteenth centuries> !hereKas can *egleaned from that 0aintingBs su*jectsKit is linked to the role of the etherlands as an

im0erial seafaring nation and colonial 0o!er< -n the nineteenth century this tendencyto!ard scientifically accurate re0resentation enjoyed an unex0ected *oom< &he0ioneers of 0hotogra0hy and film often *rought *ack thousands of shots of HexoticBlandsca0es and o*jects from the frican> sian> and -ndian colonies to their WesternAuro0ean nati=e countriesKa 0henomenon that had a decisi=e im0act on the rise ofthe =isual mass industry !hich took 0lace just afe! years after the in=ention of 0hotogra0hy> !ould hasten the s0read of the ne!technologies and their 0roducts enormously< or the e=er%increasing flexi*ility andnearness to the co=eted o*jects made it 0ossi*le to suggest a 0erfection of the sameauthenticity that had also *een claimed *y the ad=anced 0ainting of an earlier timeto deri=efrom a single shot a (media%"historical constellation that deals !ith the aestheticre=olt against the *asic condition of (institutional" re0resentation> !hich is taken hereas the o*ject of re0resentation: the 0osition of distance< +y filming a 0lace asantithetical to the White u*e as a slum> the artists refer this condition *ack to theFuestion of the connection *et!een art and 0olitics> !hich has its roots in thehistorical a=ant%garde< haracteristically> de Rijke / de RooijBs !ork does not 0osethis Fuestion from the internal 0ers0ecti=e of the re0resented H0laceB *ut from theexternal 0ers0ecti=e of the camera> !hich is immanent in the aesthetic 0erce0tion ofthat 0lace< $ence> it is 0recisely *y refusing to suggest the nearness of the o*ject

that it addresses the distanced su*ject%o*ject relationshi0 as a 0ro*lem of theaesthetic rules that constitute it< &he tension could hardly *e greater< or just as the0ace of the sunriseK!hich is 0aradoxically increased *y the use of fast motion andcorres0onds to the real length of time it takes to =ie! the filmKis o*=iously fictionaland at the same time configures the =isi*le HinformationB in accord !ith technical andmedial conditions of re0resentation> so too the identification of the =ie!erBs gaEe !iththe 0osition of the camera turns out to *e a HderealiEingB effect of image technology *ut !ithin an institutional frame!ork !here !e are situated as an audience ofHcontem0orary artBKa s0atio%tem0oral structure designed to authenticate theconstruct of immediate =isual 0resence that forms 0art of the *asic understanding ofmodern art as !ell as the modern mass media ilmgeschichte und fr@hes ?ino< rchQologie eines Medien!andels> Aditiontextkritik> Munich> 22 categories that *ecomethematic in a different !ay in the !orks of de Rijke / de Rooij< et this does not0rom0t them to cham0ion the less 0ro*lematic essentialism of the Hanti%aestheticB discourse that is associated> for exam0le> !ith orthodox !orks ofconce0tual art Ithe *eautiful of art77is designed tomask the Hactual essenceB of art *eneath the 0leasant and illusory form of thecommodity Ithis gesture ofnegation testifies to an idea of the *eautiful that neither modern art nor

aesthetics can renounce> *ecause it constitutes their dynamic center< < < 8as 1ers0rechen der Schnheit> Suhrkam0> rankfurt/Main: 29> and$elmut 8raxler> oercing onstellations: S0ace> Reference> and Re0resentation in areedrmaly> *T*ooks> +erlin> 29> 00< 77 ff !hich recalls riedrich SchillerBsIaesthetic education 1ers0rechen der Schnheit(note 9"> 0 oercing onstellations(note 9" I&he 8ialectic of +eauty (note )"> 0< 7) rather than exclusi=ely as an aesthetic one< &hus it sought todefine the aesthetic idea of the *eautiful as a function of categories> genres>and media that must *e s0ecified historically and socially< gainst the =ie! thataesthetic *eauty is an transhistorical and uni=ersal intrinsic feature of art> artistsincor0orated the re0resentational 0ractices of 0hotogra0hy> film> ad=ertising>tele=ision> design> fashion> etc< into their !orks> 0ractices that until then had

*een *anished and re0ressed *y formalistic 0ictorial languages< &hus theIconfiguration of sense 0erce0tion s0oken of *y Menninghaus came to includethe H0o0ularB and H=ulgarB forms of modernity as !ell< IGet the feelingV7#is !hatart and aesthetics ha=e in common !ith the *eauty of automo*ile and tra=elmarketing !ho is currently much on the minds of theorists and artists< ccordingto this argument> the Hsensi*leB is not the exclusi=e domain of art> *ut also adimension of 0olitics< RanciUre regards the Idi=ision of the sensi*le as a 0rocessin s0ace and time in !hich the *oundaries *et!een art and 0olitics are flexi*leand dynamicB according to this =ie!> is not H0olitical 0rimarilyB *ecause ithas a 0olitical su*ject *ut *ecause it Iconfigures a s0atio%tem0oral sensoriumthat determines modes of *eing together or a0art> inside or outside> across fromor in the middle of tele=ision> and =ideoKhe does so in order to e=aluatethem in terms of their ca0acity for aesthetic and sensuous alterity> their a*ility toenter into a s0atio%tem0oral relationshi0 !ith the 0lace of the Iother the cultural theorist &om $olert refers to RanciUreBs reflections on theinterchange *et!een art and the commercialiEation of social =isual !orlds in thecommodity culture of the nineteenth century a di=ision

0ro*lematiEed *y Willem de Rooij in an inter=ie!< &his is significant> since !hat14d=ertising slogan of an auto rental firm &he 'olitics of esthetics: &he 8istri*ution of the Sensi*le>trans ontinuum> e! ork> 2#< &he su*title of the Anglish translation of RanciUreBs!ork is &he 8istri*ution of the Sensi*le>*ut Idi=ision> !hich is also a =alid translation> moreaccurately ca0tures the nuance stressed in this essay< -t !ill *e used !ithout comment from this0oint for!ard I'olitiFue de lBrt (un0u*lished manuscri0t"> 2< 'u*lished in Germantranslation as I8ie 'olitik der ?unst und ihre 'aradoxien> in: RanciUre> 8ie ufteilung desSinnlichen< 8ie 'olitik der ?unst und ihre 'aradoxien>trans< and ed< Maria Muhle> +erlin 2)> 00 here 0< 99 &he uture of the -mage>trans< Gregory Alliott> 1erso> 4ondon> 29 IMo=ing ,n in a 'a=ilion: &hinking !ith and around Jeroen de Rijke and Willem de

Rooij> in: de Rijke / de Rooij>exh< cat 8utch 'a=ilion of the 67st 1enice +iennale 26> Re=ol=er+ooks> rankfurt/Main> 26> 00< 57;##> here 0< 52 the re0resentation of Isocial structures> 0oliticalconflicts> or social> ethnic> or sexual identities73that is called for *y documentaryHma00ingsB and =isual Hnarrati=esBKand !hich is rightly 0ro*lematiEed *yRanciUreKis no guarantee of a 0ro0er attitude *ut has long since entered there0ertoire of issues of image and ad=ertising cam0aigns< &hus de Rooij also seesno difference *et!een artistic and non%artistic forms of the a00ro0riation>

ada0tation> and contextualiEation of images exce0t in their s0ecific o*jecti=esand the formal> conce0tual> and referential agendas that underlie themthen> !e might return to the Fuestion 0osed earlierK!ithin !hat frame reference are !e to situate art and 0olitics in this !orkL fterall> RanciUreBs model suggests that the Hsensuous element of 0oliticsB should not*e defined as a Fuality of the content of the image (the slum" *ut rather as aFuality of the forms of re0resentation and 0erce0tion that constitute that image 0hotogra0hic> and cinematogra0hic strategies of staging> in +antarGe*angit is techniFues of s0atialiEation and tem0oraliEation that 0re=ent anillusionistic nearness to the o*ject of contem0lation< o!> as regards the s0atio%tem0oral connection *et!een a H0oliticalB su*ject and its 0resentation in a Whiteu*e> there are useful indications in a catalogue essay *y S=en 4@tticken on!orks *y de Rijke / de Rooij< -n an essay entitled I*stractions> 4@tticken refersto the land art 0rojects of Ro*ert Smithson and to SmithsonBs distinction *et!eenHsitesB (!hich may *e a !asteland or any other anonymous 0lace" and Hnon%sitesB(!hich refer to s0aces for re0resentation> including the White u*e"< 4@ttickenthen a00lies this distinction to the filmic !orks of de Rijke / de Rooij< onnectinga 0lace that is reser=ed for aesthetic 0erce0tion Fua institutional re0resentation!ith a H0laceB that is ostensi*ly external to itKsomething that is done *y *othSmithson and de Rijke / de RooijKmight *e seen as an ex0eriment of 0reciselythe kind that RanciUre has in mind !hen he calls for a Iredi=ision of the sensi*le the ideal ty0e of the White u*e !ould corres0ond to ana*stract Hs0atio%tem0oral sensoriumB thatKthrough SmithsonBs constructionK

!ould in turn a00ear as a sensuously ex0eriencea*le (re"constellation of interiorand exterior s0aces< Since this cannot *e done !ithout transforming a formerHsiteB into an aesthetically defined o*ject of re0resentation or> as 4@tticken 0utsit> into a Icinematogra0hic non%site>27this raises the Fuestion of the underlyingo*ser=er models< re theyKas in the classical White u*eKconcei=ed in arelationshi0 of se0aration =is%%=is the o*ject of re0resentationL ,r on thecontrary> is that se0aration a*olished> as en=isioned !hen the White u*e isre0laced *y immersi=e +lack +oxesL

When s0eaking of +antar Ge*ang>the ans!er to this Fuestion is: neither one northe other< or in this !ork the distance from the H!orld outsideB that is associated

19RanciUre> I'olitiFue de lBrt (note 7)"> 0< 2 IMo=ing ,n in a 'a=ilion (note 7."> 57 I*straktionen (note #"> 37 in order literally to cut off theaffecti=e function of the imageKthe =ie!ersB in=ol=ementKfrom the re0resentedsu*ject< $o!e=er> this does not mean that the affecti=e im0act of the image assuch is negated< ,n the contrary> it is reinforced *y the chosen techniFues in amanner that o0ens the image to itself and hence to the s0atio%tem0oralsensoriums it contains< &hus the ex0erience of H*eautyB that may occur as one!atches the sunrise is sho!n to *e the effect of a montage of real and fictional>literal and referential s0atial and tem0oral modes< -n +antar Ge*ang>then>

aesthetic 0erce0tion itself is addressed as a 0rocess of differentiation anddi=isionKindeed> this is already suggested *y the =ery fact that this !orksynthesiEes White u*e and mo=ie theater< &his is also the significance of deRijke / de RooijBs decision to 0urge the White u*e> in its function as the 0rimary=enue for their films> of HdistractingB and HextraneousB elements such as lightfixtures and radiators< +y doing so they intensify its Fuintessential functionKtheinstitutional authentication of artKin a manner reminiscent of Michael sherBssystemic dysfunctionaliEation of exhi*ition s0aces< +ut the artistsB s0atialinter=entions are no mere HformalisticB references to historical models ofinstitutional critiFueKor if they are then only in the sense that they make theformaliEation of the White u*e a=aila*le in turn to an authentication of theH0olitical%criticalB function of art that is no! 0urged of contradictions !ho once ex0lained that the Hnon%sitesB he chose for his 0rojectsalready contained the re0roducti=e gaEe of the camera> de Rijke / de RooijBs!orks may also *e said to 0roject the fact of their 0erce0tion under theconditions of the White u*e *ack onto the conditions of their 0roduction< scould *e argued *y 0ointing to the exam0le of +antar Ge*ang>the aestheticallycoded s0ace of re0resentation is al!ays already contaminated *y the 0olitics ofthe images 0roduced in its name< Just as the su*ject of a sunrise marks (al*eitallegorically" the assertion of a H*eginningB or Hfirst imageB that is nonethelessalso familiar as an industrially re0roduced motif> so the 0rinci0le of Isynchronousmontage22chosen *y de Rijke / de Rooij hits on a central condition ofcontem0orary art: the irreduci*le simultaneity of singularity/uniFueness andre0roduction/seriality> in the sense in !hich artists of the historical a=ant%garde

sought to introduce the 0olitically understood tension *et!een indi=idualauthorshi0> industrial 0roduction> and medial mass rece0tion into their !orksBan encounter that> !hile im0ro*a*le> is nonetheless grounded in the aestheticand 0olitical history of =isual mass culture: in light of this insight> the ten minutesBtime it takes to !atch this film in a semi%darkened White u*e casts dou*t on thesimultaneous Hcontem0oraneityB of the !orld inside and the !orld out there it is

22See 4@tticken> I*straktionen (note #" that is not !hy +antar Ge*ang!as made< ccording to de Rooij> amuch more fundamental factor !as the artistsB desire to kno! !hat constitutes aH0olitical imageB and !hat the first image !as that they themsel=es 0ercei=ed as0olitical: I-nterestingly> !e *oth remem*ered the same image> 0ro*a*ly from a739s 0rimary school text*ook< -t !as an image that com*ined a slum area and acor0orate to!er in the same frame> an illustration that taught children ho! the!ealth of the !orld is di=ided +antar Ge*angaims less at the socio%geogra0hical s0ecificity of there0resented 0lace or at the 0oliticiEation of the (aesthetic" image> *ut rather atthe fact that the H0olitical imageB 0resents itself as a relationshi0 of form andmeaning that 0recedes the artistic intention> a relationshi0 that in this case isinstitutionaliEed< &he di=ision of the !orld into counta*le unitsKirst and &hirdWorldsKthus 0resents itself as a form of the s0atio%tem0oral conditioning of agaEe under the conditions of ethical and 0edagogical image 0roduction !ithinthe irst World o=ergro!n !ith grass and !ith the architectural sym*ols of modernur*anity in the *ackground< -n this film the Hfirst 0olitical imageB recalled *y theartists seems literally to *e mortified< rom this 0ers0ecti=e> one might argue> the

0rinci0le of Hsynchronous montageB constitutes a hallmark of the Iallegoricalimage>2#hence of a ty0e of image that incor0orates the non%=isi*le 0resence ofother images that 0recede it as their Iundead s0irits theallegoriEation of montage and collage *y the aesthetics of mass 0roductionstands in a s0atial and tem0oral relationshi0 to that colonialist H(re"di=ision of thesensi*leB that !as su00osed to take 0lace !ith the (re"ma00ing of the 0olitical

23ited in Maria $la=ajo=a: I&he H8roste AffectB or What omes after +eing riticalL on=ersation !ith Willem de Rooij> in: Rosi +raidotti> harles Asche> and Maria $la=ajo=a> edsitiEens and Su*jects: &he etherlands> or Axam0le> Mondriaan oundation msterdam> 29>00< 297;2.5> here 00< 296 ff eds rt fter once0tualrt> Walther ?nig> ologne> 2)> 00< 57;6. !hich differs from the a*o=e%mentioned !orks in that hereone can s0eak of narration in the *roadest sense of the term> such Hs0aces(*et!een"B and transitional Eones are sho!n to *e a montage of light and color< &his*ecomes es0ecially a00arent in shots that use mirror effects to 0roduce akaleidosco0ic multi0lication of the decors (!hich are al!ays chromatically marked" orthat take 0lace at the transition *et!een indoor and outdoor s0ace> for exam0le ona *alcony< Such montages of light and color recall the tradition of light 0ainting as!ell as the (al!ays some!hat too tastefully staged" studio s0aces and *ackgroundsof tele=ision sho!s< &om $olert s0eaks in this connection of Imood *oards>23

techniFues for creating atmos0heric en=ironments that are designed to dra! theaudience in emotionally< et *ecause de Rijke / de Rooij use film stock containingorange for Mandarin 8ucks>close%u0s on the 0rotagonistsB faces> !hich normallygenerate affect> in=ol=e a moment of alienation> since their skin looks like anunrealistic> 0sychedelic field of color de Rijke / de Rooij are a*le to generateand delineate com0lex aesthetic semantics> in !hich formal> a*stract 0ictoriallanguagesKlanguages that ha=e irre=ersi*ly sha0ed the image of modern artKare

0laced in relation to a=ant%garde film and commercial mo=ies> tele=ision> fashion>interior decoration> and architecture< With ,range>the dialectics that a00ear in theserealmsKdialectics of singularity and seriality> ex0ression and function> a*stractionand o*jecti=ity> !hich 0er=ade the entire history of modern 0ainting (from light tocolor field 0ainting" and film (from 1ictor leming to Jean%4uc Godard5"Kare set=i*rating *y a single !ork< -n this sense ,rangealso im0licitly reflects the li*eration ofcolor from its local ex0ressi=e =alue and its 0erce0tion as an autonomous o*ject> theFuintessential em*odiment of ImodernismBs fetish of =isuality there is nothing in it tosuggest that it re0roduces and/or negates the fetish of =isuality< $ence in my =ie! it

28-*id IMo=ing ,n in a 'a=ilion (note 7."> 0< 56 +ilder der ar*e>Serie moderner ilm> 18G%1erlag> Weimar> 25 IYn!ritten $istories of once0tual rt (note 23" as one might *e inclined to do> through the conce0t of theIo*solete medium and su*mission< -n the case of ,rangea sim0le declarati=egestureKthe 0rojection of eighty%one different shades of orangeKcauses e!manBsironic commentary on the terrors of 0ure =isuality and ?u*rickBs allegory of thetotalitarianism of the culture of fun to a00ear as a Hsemantic ma00ingB of aestheticand 0olitical 0henomena< &hus> in the accom0anying text the t!o artists ex0lain thatthey had originally intended to 0roduce the color of the non%fluorescent o=eralls!orn *y 0risoners at Guantanamo +ay< &he media images of de%indi=idualiEed*odies almost literally im0risoned !ithin their uniforms may !ell recall ?u*rickBs *rutal=ision of a li*eral%democratic system of total control< ccording to the 0hiloso0her

Giorgio gam*en> the 0olitical state of exce0tion> of !hich Guantanamo +ay is a0aradigmatic re0resentation> may *e regarded as constituti=e of !hat> from the

32om0< Rosalind A< ?raussBs conce0t of medium%s0ecificity> !hich is *ased on Walter +enjamin discarded *y technological 0rogress> to recreateirreduci*le differences *et!een artistic genres< ?rauss sees it as a countermodel against thecommodifying a*olition of the *oundaries of and *et!een aesthetic media !ithin a 0ostmodern0erce0tual regime< See Rosalind A< ?rauss> 1oyage on the orth Sea< rt in the ge of the'ost%Medium ondition> e! ork> 7333 +iangio 'inna> and 4othar S0illmann> Iar*e fo00t das ormsehen>htt0://!!!#39272> ugust 6> 29 for exam0le through

the 0rocess of tinting 73));9 !e 0ercei=e as 0olitically esta*lished rightsKrights> then> that aim at a realm external to democracy and 0u*lic s0ace one might also associate de Rijke / de RooijBsre0eated references to the state%ordered mass ex0ulsion of immigrants from I0ost%0o0ulist neo%conser=ati=e $olland59K!here the royal house (I,ranje" enjoysgro!ing 0o0ularityK!ith the 0o0ularity touched off in the Western media *y themo=ement of anti%Russian resistance in Ykraine kno!n as the H,range Re=olution ,rangeturns out to *e the sym*olof a 0olitics that deals !ith *oth nationalistic> ideological 0aradigms and the forms ofstigmatiEation and exclusion that are executed in their name< -fKas is my im0ressionKthe fragmentation of ,rangeinto eighty%one shades has as much to do !ith the colortheory of a +arnett e!man5.as !ith the 0alette of 0o0ular culture> then it follo!sthat standards of Western art history are under discussion in it as !ell!e thus *ecome a!are of an aesthetic o0eration deri=ed fromex0licitly 0olitical intentions that causes us to recogniEe that our stand0oint as=ie!ers is caught u0 in structures of 0o!er and domination< et such a*stractionsal!ays remain linked to the =ie!ersB 0erce0tual reality< &his is ensured> for exam0le>*y the fact that de Rijke / de RooijBs films are not 0resented in +lack +oxes *ut inslightly darkened rooms in museums and galleries< +ecause of this> the lighting>!hich generally tends to *e 0assi=ely 0ercei=ed *y =ie!ers> does not a00ear as aHnaturalB en=ironment or a H0ureB function *ut as an inde0endent s0atially andtem0orally determined element< 8e Rijke / de RooijBs fondness for mixed lighting andmixed colors has its counter0art in their treatment of architectonic s0aces< -t is notclarity> 0urity> and a*sence of am*iguity *ut *lurred contours> gradual transitions>and multi0licity of meanings that make 0ossi*le a 0recise and differentiating ty0e ofseeing> hence a Hredi=ision of the sensi*le Joe 8allesandro> andMan Ray and resem*le synthetic reincarnations of incom0ati*le lifestyles are

almost literally inserted into the multilayered references to Gerrit Riet=eld> rank4loyd Wright> Aileen Gray> Jan Graatsma and William Slothou*er> and others< &hecollage of historical and 0o0ular aesthetics and su*jectsK!hich 0oints tocu*ism> dadaism> and constructi=ism *oth in its methods and its motifsKisdistinguished from !orks like +antar Ge*ang*y the fact that it does not 0indo!n the !orld it 0resents in the same !ay< &o a su*stantially greater extentthan in +antar Ge*ang>its methods themsel=es *ecome a conce0tual o*ject ofthat reflexi=e self%contem0lation that makes the !orld Has it isB seem alien to andunlike itself< Such a construction of immanent alterity !ould make it 0ossi*le torelati=iEe +enjaminBs 0olariEation of social%re=olutionary 0hotomontage and an

36om0< Giorgio gam*en> $omo Sacer: So=ereign 'o!er and +are 4ife> trans< 8aniel $eller%RoaEen> Stanford Yni=ersity 'ress> Stanford> 733. &ext on ,range(note ##"


20/47

Ie=er more nuanced> e=er more modern 0hotogra0hy53!hose Iresult it is Ithatit can no longer record a tenement *lock or a refuse hea0 !ithout transfiguringit>#*ecause the sensuousness of 0olitics cannot *e se0arated from that of artnor therefore from aesthetics< 'recisely this condition is 0layed out on e=ery le=elin Mandarin 8ucks< A=ery detail> no matter ho! small> stands in a di=erse andmulti=alent relationshi0 !ith the !hole s0ace and time

*ecomes a *asis for role%0laying> dialogues> and actions is related to the factthat that it !as 0roduced for de Rijke / de RooijBs 0artici0ation in the 26 1enice+iennale< Sho!n for the first time in Gerrit Riet=eldBs 8utch 'a=ilion> !hich isfamous for its staging of light> air> and s0ace> it took the 0a=ilionBs modernist andfunctionalistic architecture as the starting 0oint for a reflection on the historicalconditions of the (re"0resentation of art in modern media culture< &hus the0a=ilion !as used as a mo=ie theater#7*ut remained =isi*le as a White u*e> aHsym*olicB montage that *roke !ith the fragmentary images of a film that deals!ith to0ics such as Ha00earance>B Haging>B Hsex>B Halcohol>B Hfundraising>B andHgrou0 thera0y for the under0ri=ileged Mandarin 8ucksrolls out an o00ressi=e scenario in !hichFueer and 0atriarchal> *ohemian and u00er%class> 0rogressi=e andconser=ati=e attitudes all come together in the shared desire for money>ha00iness> *eauty> youth> and recognition< -n e=ery detailK*e it finely !o=enfa*rics or suggestions of intimate encounters> s0arkling !ineglasses orexoticiEed decorsK!e seem to encounter archety0es of a sociality that couldcome from the hand of a style%sa==y image designer !hoare familiar from 8utch &1 series> are ex0licitly reflected as national ex0orts> asfashion addicts> outsiders> racists> etc< &hus> monologues and dialogues ha=ethe same function here as the text sam0les do in +ouFuetand ,range the HdramatiEationB of language does not 0roduce narration *utrather sym*olic fragments of figures that recall *oth James AnsorBs grotesFue>claustro0ho*ic caricatures and the melodramas of Rainer Werner ass*inder modern architecture> sym*olist 0ainting> 0ostclassical genre cinema> and0o0ular modern design com*ine to 0roduce a collage that deals !ith the cultural%industrial mingling of art and media culture> hence !ith the (gro!ing" Idifficulty offiguring 0olitical reality in serious art !ithout at the same time fallingin !ith the culturally 0essimistic eFuation that casts art as the HotherB (of commerceand the moral =alue system held u0 against it"< or exam0le> !hen the family0atriarch indulges in racist la0ses on the su*ject of immigrant taxi dri=ers> !ho in his

39s suggested a*o=e> +enjamin !as referring to the 0hotogra0hy of e! ,*jecti=ity Iuthor as 'roducer (note 5)"> 0< 996 not as an endless loo0 IMo=ing ,n in a 'a=ilion (note 7."> 00< 57;## IYn!ritten $istories of once0tual rt (note 23" he is met !ith the 0rotests of the 0eo0le around him> !ho are schooled in0olitical correctness and !ell%=ersed in art> *ut those 0rotests hardly seem designedto endanger the cohesion of a socially 0ri=ileged milieuB then it may *e said inconclusion that !hat de Rijke / de Rijke o0en u0 to their images is 0recisely such a

sensorium< &he H=isual 0resenceB of their !orks casts the Imodes of *eing together ora0art> inside or outside> across from or in the middle of (RanciUre" that come to lightin them and are acti=e in and *et!een them as the effect of Hsensory di=isionsB of a*efore and after> a here and *eyond under the tem0oral and s0atial conditions ofthe 0rocess of =ie!ing them< Seen in this !ay> the joint !ork of Jeroen de Rijke andWillem de Rooij constitutes an archi=e (of images" that can ne=er *e com0leted andthat fundamentally contradicts the character and meaning of a retros0ecti=e film 0rojection is only one element in their !ork< &he room isanother key element of the !orkKnot only inextrica*le from it> *ut also self%referential and autonomous< -n the 25 0u*lication that accom0anied theircom0anion exhi*itions at the 1an **emuseum in Aindho=en and the 1illa rson inice> the illustrations consisted of *lack%and%!hite 0hotogra0hs of the s0aces in!hich the !orks had *een 0resented o=er the years sho!ing the*enches> s0eakers> and 0rojection *ooths> are em0ty> yet scul0turally 0resent< &heyare illuminated as they !ould *e if used for a screening< &hey are only a00arently

em0tyKall of the elements of film 0resentation are on dis0lay as constituted through the mo=ement of thefilm through the 0rojector at 2# frames 0er second< 8e Rijke / de Rooij re%form thatcinematic ex0erience into a scul0tural idea> as they descri*ed in a 2 inter=ie!!ith icolaus Schafhausen:

We make our installations !ith a great deal of concentration< -n an assigned or self%chosen s0ace> !e try to create an atmos0heric mix *et!een cinema and exhi*itions0ace< &he films !e make ha=e a s0ecific *eginning and end> and should *e!atched in their entirety< 1ie!ings take 0lace> for instance> t!ice e=ery hour< timeta*le on the !all informs a =ie!er of the 0rojection times< &here are some*enches for =ie!ers to sit on< &he s0ace is clean> em0ty> half%dark> so its dimensionsare still 0erce0ti*le< ll distur*ing elements> such as lights> reflections> or noises arereduced as much as 0ossi*le< We take s0ecial care to 0ro=ide the 0eri0heral =ision of0eo0le sitting on the *enches< &he 0rojector is 0laced in a sound0roof *ox< &his *ox>and all other elements 0laced in the room (s0eakers> *enches" are 0urely functional *ecause during an exhi*ition theroom is usually not filled !ith film< We 0ercei=e this room as a minimal scul0ture the strategies of the artist> and the role of the s0ectator isat the root of de Rijke / de RooijBs 0roject> as they ha=e descri*ed: ISo these s0acesare more than rooms in !hich you ex0erience things< &hey are de=elo0ed es0eciallyfor sho!ing the films !e make> and theyBre also su00osed to function e=en !hen nofilm is 0rojected in them< -n our films> em0tiness is as im0ortant as it is in the 0rojections0aces !e design ed Jeroen de Rijke N Willem de Rooij: S0aces and ilms 733.;22(Aindho=en: 1an **emuseum and ice: 1illa rson> 25" I-f ,nly Rooms Would So learly ulfill &heir 'ur0ose\(inter=ie! !ith icolaus Schafhausen"> in Jeroen de Rijke/Willem de Rooij> fter the $unt(e!

ork: 4ukas N Stern*erg> 2": 2


24/47

&he relationshi0 of their installations to Minimal scul0ture is situated in therenegotiation of the =ie!ing ex0erience and the 0osition of the s0ectator< Minimalscul0ture renegotiated the relationshi0 *et!een s0ectator and o*ject !ithin anarchitectural s0ace> 0roducing a more self%conscious s0ectator< &he strategies ofonce0tual art of the 73)s and 9s> ex0anded this in=estigation into self%examination of the 0resentation> function> and rece0tion of a !ork of art> includingthe use of media associated !ith the !orkBs documentation> distri*ution> and 0u*licityKlanguage> 0hotogra0hy> film> and =ideoKas !ell as into a critiFue of the institutions

that function as the 0oints for its 0resentation and rece0tion> s0ecifically museumsand galleries< Am0loying many of these strategies> de Rijke / de Rooij ex0and u0onMinimal and once0tual art through their use of *oth self%referentiality and self%examination> as they challenge traditional di=isions *et!een the o*ject> the =ie!er>and the surroundings< &heir 0rojectBs roots are located !ithin the 0ractices of artistssuch as Michael sher> Marcel +roodthaers> Stanley +rou!n> 8aniel +uren> Mariaordman> and Jeff Wall> among others associated !ith the first generation ofonce0tual artists> !ho de=elo0ed their !orks in relation to the historical>architectural> social> economic> and cultural context of a s0ecific site Wall has 0roduced 0hotogra0hictrans0arencies on light *oxes that illuminate the rooms in !hich they are =ie!ed< &he0hotogra0hic re0resentation of 0artially constructed locations in his images>including those set u0 in his studio or shot on locations in 1ancou=er> !here he li=esand !orks> em*race a larger historical> aesthetic> cultural> and social context thatalso lays a key foundation for the com0lex issues of HhereB and HthereB that de Rijke /de Rooij consider de Rijke / de RooijBs interest in institutional critiFue is informed *y sherBs!ork< sherBs early inter=entions em0loyed su*tle strategies of alteration andremo=al a00lied to the gi=en architecture< &he container for the !ork of art *ecomesthe material for a scul0ture that is not only inextrica*le from its architectural site> *utinextrica*le from its cultural context< or exam0le> sherBs incor0oration of thearchitectural container> =isual 0erce0tion> and the conditions of context can *e seenas an antecedent to the half%dark/half%light s0aces of the younger artists< or hiscontri*ution to 8ocumenta 1> at the Museum ridericianum in ?assel in 7392> sher

concei=ed of a !ood%frame construction !ithin the gallery s0ace< -n this s0ace> he=isually di=ided the interior of a long hall!ayKincluding the floor> end !alls> andceilingKlength!ise *y 0ainting one half !hite and one half *lack< -n the !hite side>he cut t!o light !ells from the construction at its ceiling at the 0oint of its intersection!ith the !all> allo!ing light to enter from the gallery s0ace a*o=e< S0ectatorsentered and exited the s0ace through a light%tight door in the *lack half he discussed the 0lanes of this s0ace as constituting ascul0tureKnot a con=entional o*ject to !alk around> *ut Ithe sum of < < < six 0lanesconstitutingX a =olumetric> rectangular *ody> forming an enclosure around the=ie!er< &he entire scul0tural =olume !as =ie!ed from !ithin> !as !alked through>o=er and u0on< +y *eing an enclosure or housing> the assem*led 0lanes !eresimultaneously ex0erienced as an architectural container likening the s0ace to a stage thatfunctions !ithin the greater context of the international exhi*ition of !hich it !as a0art:

+y formaliEing its o!n 0ur0ose !ithin the exhi*ition> this installationKas a stageKreflected the cultural stage that I8ocumentaKas an exhi*itionKoccu0ied< s as0atial enclosure> it occu0ied an autonomous 0ositionD yet the enclosure did notdefine the more general conditions of the =ie!erBs ex0erience at the exhi*ition< &heim0lied autonomy of the !ork could only *e seen !ithin the context of most of theother !orks> each of !hich o0erated !ithin their o!n se0arate frame!ork< &he !orkseemed to seclude itself from the rest of the exhi*ition> !hile it !as actually su*jectto and rece0ti=e of its conditions see Michael sher> Writings 739573.5 on Works 73)37393> edited *y and!ritten in colla*oration !ith +enjamin $ $alifax: &he 'ress of the o=a Scotiaollege of rt and 8esign / 4os ngeles: &he Museum of ontem0orary rt> 73.5> 69;)5 dark and light> the s0aces of de Rijke / de Rooij> like those of sher>correlate the s0ecific character of the architectural container> the strategies of self%referentiality> and the 0rocess of illumination as a means of social> economic> andcultural disclosure< Whereas that disclosure unfolds in a half%dark s0ace through theslo! illumination of an -ndonesian shanty to!n in +antar Ge*ang> the relationshi0*et!een the image de0icted in the film and the architectural s0ace of its0resentation is more direct in Mandarin 8ucks (26"< &he artistsB contri*ution to the26 1enice +iennale as re0resentati=es of &he etherlands> this film is set in a

domestic interior loosely modeled on Gerrit Riet=eldBs architecture for the +iennaleBs8utch 'a=ilion> !here the exhi*ition itself took 0lace< =isually ra=ishing and *rutal0icture of social relations> it 0resents the encounters *et!een ten 0eo0le in thiss0ace through dialogues and monologues< 'ro0elled *y the current state ofnationalism and xeno0ho*ia in &he etherlands> it is a mirror that can *e held to anyculture< stunning> 0ro=ocati=e> and contested !ork> it is carefully situated !ithin thes0ecific context of a national 0a=ilion and dra!s on the cultural> aesthetic andarchitectural history em*odied in that s0ace Mandarin 8ucks is a com0lex construction> em0loyingelements of melodrama and filmic self%referentiality< &he o=erriding 0resence of light>!hich illuminates the set> just as it lights u0 the skin of the actors> is treated as adiscrete> autonomous material< &he colored light that occu0ies the s0aces in the filmalso constructs the atmos0here and enhances the contradictions *et!een the*eauty of the film> the una*ashed cruelty of ho! the characters treat each other>and the restrained> minimal set< &his set em*races the structure of modularity thatcharacteriEes the 'a=ilionBs design and contains !ithin a fe! key 0ro0s> including ahinese folding screen> a mirrored =anity> a Ee*ra skin rug> and a distincti=elyEi00ered> modular sofa designed *y the team of Slothou*er N GraatsmaKnotcoincidentally> the last duo to 0artici0ate in the +iennale *efore de Rijke / de Rooij(in 739"< &he Riet=eld%designed ceiling shutters of the 'a=ilion> ada0ted *y de Rijke /de Rooij so that they could fully o0en *et!een screenings> !ere the models for theacoustical 0anels that !ere designed for the s0ace< -n addition> they designed *lack*enches for the s0ectators> *ased on a con=entional notion of a museum *ench turning the 'a=ilionBs setting into a 0arallel stage for the s0ectators< -nthis 0resentation> de Rijke / de Rooij engaged the architectural and 0rogrammatichistory of the 'a=ilion !ithin a larger art historical> cultural> and 0olitical context e0hemera> o*jects> and documentation< &hese exhi*itions/installationsaddress not only the conditions of dis0lay and rece0tion !ithin the institutionalframe!ork> *ut also the means of distri*ution< &he inter=ention of this H*ackmatterBinto the content and 0resentation of the !ork underscores the artistsB interest in ho!

a !ork of art functions !ithin a *roader historical and cultural context in msterdam> +regenE> and 1ienna> their !ork !asintegrated !ith that of others> an ex0erience that offered insights into their !orkingmethods< t the Stedelijk Museum in msterdam in 8ecem*er 26> the exhi*itionfocused on the sources and references for Mandarin 8ucks and its 0resentation inthe 8utch 'a=ilion in 1enice earlier that year< 8ra!n from the museumBs collection!ere modular constructions *y Slothou*er N Graatsma> !hose Ei00ered sofa !as akey 0ro0 in Mandarin 8ucks< lso on sho! !ere images of their 739 exhi*ition in the

8utch 'a=ilion> featuring that same sofa< &he 0rinted matter and gra0hic *randing(announcement> 0oster> catalogue" for the 1enice 0resentation> concei=ed *y thereno!ned 8utch gra0hic designer Wim rou!el> !ere dis0layed on ta*les designed*y de Rijke / de Rooij< larger seFuence of catalogue 0ages featured light studiesfor the film set> !hile another ta*le featured single 0ages of the scri0t and0roduction stills< lso included in the exhi*ition !ere four lithogra0hs *y ?urtSch!itters> t!o 0aintings *y James Ansor and a monitor sho!ing a 739s 8utchtele=ision comedy> $ey> an - $a=e My Wife +ackL om0osed as an exhi*ition> the!orkBs discrete elements retain their indi=iduality< Without *eing didactic> the artistssought to locate their o!n !ork !ithin a cultural and historical context held at the MagaEin# in +regenE> ustria> de Rijke / deRooij designed an installation for the 0resentation of three different Himage *anks including its re0resentation in the 0osters> announcementcards> 0u*lications> 0ress releases> etc that they carefully concei=ed and designedas integral> 0rimary elements of their !ork< &hese !ere not considered secondarymaterials or He0hemeraB occu0ying a su00orting role> *ut rather as autonomous!orks that !ere as im0ortant to de Rijke / de RooijBs o=erall 0ractice as the filminstallations collecti=ely titled -ndex: Riots> 'rotest> Mourning and ommemoration(as 0resented in ne!s0a0ers> January 2;July 22"> consisted of images originally0u*lished in ne!s0a0ers of 0eo0le gathered together in 0rotests and silent marches a num*er of images> cli00ed from their original sources> !ereorganiEed in a com0osition under one large glass< &he original ca0tions !erecom0iled in a se0arate *ooklet< &hese 0anels re0resented the role of found imagesas a resource for their artistic 0ractice -ndonesia> Ja0an> and ustralia< $e used someof these images in his colla*orati=e !ork !ith de Rooij> !hile he reser=ed others forhis inde0endent 0ractice< &he slide 0rojection demonstrated ho! he a00roachedeach image indi=idually> seFuencing them> not *y geogra0hy or chronology> *ut *y

their constituent elements: light> color> and com0osition as !ell as announcements> 0osters> and othere0hemera that they had designed for their exhi*itions o=er the years< &hese images!ere 0resented on *lack ta*les< ,ne ta*le featured a *lue monochromatic0roduction still from -Bm oming $ome in orty 8ays (7339"> as re0roduced in ninedifferent 0u*lications< Aach re0roduction is different> creating a =isual echo to their2# !ork> ,range< -t is in the images on these ta*les !here the t!o indi=idual

0ositions of these artists come together de Rijke / de Rooij examine the*roader context of their artistic out0utKits conce0tion> 0roduction> e=olution>re0roduction> and distri*ution< -t is their !ay of sharing their !orking 0rocess> not tore=eal !ho did !hat in their colla*oration> for that 0rocess remains untold> *ut tosu*ject their o!n 0ractice to critiFue and disclosure> much like the strategy ofinstitutional critiFue that has influenced their 0ractice a joint effort *et!een deRijke / de Rooij and hristo0her Williams> incor0orates the self%referentiality of theseexhi*itions/installations into a colla*orati=e curatorial 0roject !ith another artist the three artistsdecided to colla*orate on the exhi*itionBs design> literally integrating the t!o sho!stogether< &he scul0tural and 0ictorial strategies and self%referentiality thatcharacteriEe their res0ecti=e 0ractices !ere em0hasiEed in the integration of the!ork and in their design of the 0osters and indi=idual =olumes of the exhi*itioncatalogue> !hich !ere designed in colla*oration !ith ustrian artist Mathias'oledna< &his also included the strategy of insertion> !ith the inclusion of an image ofone otherBs !ork in the seemingly identical =olumes of the catalogue> the relocationof a large 0anel containing institutional signage from the !all to the floor> and in thes0ace constructed for the screening of de Rijke / de RooijBs film> &he 'oint of8e0arture (22"> !here Williams 0laced his *lack%and%!hite 0hotogra0h of theSecessionBs distincti=e modular !all system !hile it !as under construction for theexhi*ition !ithin an architectural s0ace< &he illumination that 0roduces the filmimage re=eals the architectural container and heightens our o!n a!areness ass0ectators of our 0osition !ithin the half%dark/half%light architectural s0ace> !hich*ears a history> a function> and a cultural context< Whereas the films are 0roduced ina fixed moment in time> their 0resentations differ in each circumstance< A=ery time a!ork is 0resented> it is 0resented ane!< Aach exhi*ition offers a distinct o00ortunityto 0osition and reconsider the !ork !ithin a s0ecific architectural> historical andcultural context< &hat dynamic is at the core of the 0rojects in 8@sseldorf and+ologna> !hich are concei=ed and executed as t!o distinct yet related exhi*itions these exhi*itions> like the !orking method of theartists> remain discrete yet connected> a most fitting !ay to re0resent de Rijke / de

RooijBs remarka*le colla*oration Willem de Rooij>hristo0her Williams and the author on the occasion of the o0ening of their solosho!s at the Wiener Secession67Kan idea that !as then *rought to fruition *y de Rooijduring the 0re0aration of the exhi*ition at MM*oKthe =ie!ing of some of 'asoliniBsfilms> in 0articular &eorema> 00unti 0er unB,restiade africana and-l fiore delle millee una notte> !as one of the multi0le sources around !hich the t!o artists concei=edand made their 7)mm film -Bm oming $ome in orty 8ays(7339"< -n this film =ie!erssee the image of an ice*erg filmed from a shi0 during a circumna=igation the structuring of the film intothree 0arts as in a tri0tych62and the title of the film itselfK!hich e=okes the tem0oraldimension of the journey> the 0ast of the de0arture> the 0resent of the journey andthe future of the return65Kare such that some su*tle suggestions of narrati=e do0ersist the sight of the ice*erg> !hich continually *lends in !ithand is confused !ith the sky and the ocean> gi=es H*odyB to images that area00arently de0thless> almost monochrome> a00arently a=ulsed from any relation!ith the s0here of the natural> 0hysical !orld: the image Hem*odiesB the aesthetic=alue culturally associated !ith the monochrome> the idea of a s0irituality ex0ressedthrough 0ure> aniconic> a*stract forms< Su*seFuently> gi=en the im0ossi*ility ofesta*lishing a 0oint of =ie! or defined s0ace>6#!e are forced to ask !here theo*ser=ed mo=ements are coming from (from the ice*ergL the shi0L the cameraL" and!hat !e are seeing exactly< A=en if at first glance the film seems to re0roduce anessentially unitary image> as the film runs one *egins to note continual> though=irtually im0erce0ti*le> shades of light and color> =ariations of su*stance *et!eenthe foreground and the *ackground> and the emergence of relations *et!eendifferent masses in constant mo=ement< -f it is initially difficult e=en to understand!hat kind of image !e are o*ser=ing> during time the image assumes an identity>

al*eit multifaceted and unsta*le in!hich the normal criteria for the e=aluation of images are re0laced *y the Idisco=eryof the 0otential inherent to the image itself> that is its ca0acity to con=ey multi0le

51+oth sho!s Wiener Secession> 1ienna> o=em*er 26> 26;January 76> 2)< &his 0rojectde=oted to 'ier 'aolo 'asolini should *e regarded as one of the last 0rojects de=elo0ed jointly*y Jeroen de Rijke and su*seFuently *y Willem de Rooij and s0ecifically realiEed *y de Rooij forthis exhi*ition IRealistic *straction> in:Jeroen de Rijke / Willem de Rooij< fter the$unt> 4ucas N Stern*erg> e! ork> 2> 0< 66 *et!een !hat HseemsBmonochrome *ut in HrealityB is not> fades a!ay> generating a constant oscillation*et!een !hat !e see and !hat !e *elie=e !e see> !hat !e think !e kno! and !hat!e really kno!66!hich try to con=ey this extreme latitude of re0resentation !ithin the confinesof the can=as> it is in the s0ecific context of the screen> and more in general themeans for 0resenting and =ie!ing the film image> that de Rijke / de Rooij try to =erifythis 0ossi*ility seeing a film like &eorema (73)." did not 0rom0t the artists to conduct as0ecific analysis of the content and forms of 'asoliniBs film !ork> *ut rather toexamine the fascination aroused *y a s0ecific series of images< &hese are thea*stractKor rather Ha*stractingB !ith res0ect to filmic narrationKimages introducedinto the film *y 'asolini !ith a sym*olic and alienating function< - am referring here tothe images of the !inds!e0t desert tra=ersed *y smoke and clouds that a00ear*efore the o0ening creditsD these images then recur systematically throughout thestory in association !ith each of the fi=e main characters and also seal the finale ofthe film> in !hich a man> the character 0layed *y Massimo Girotti> !alks through themcom0letely naked e=en if this is em0hasiEed less than in &eorema:the faces in the cro!d in00unti> the relation *et!een certain architecturalstructures and the characters in-l fiore theyare isolated from the film seFuence> am0lifying the a*stracting effect of the originalimage> !hich> although all its com0onents (set design> costumes> cast" aredocumented> no longer has any narrati=e su00ort> making inter0retation moream*iguous a cross *et!een artistBsfilms for the museum and cinematogra0hic films> *reak do!n the *oundaries of themuseum itself> !hich *ecomes an am*iguous area for com0arison *et!een differentlayouts and ex0eriences< &he =ery images of their filmsKsometimes seemingly stillimagesKena*le these !orks to definiti=ely oscillate *et!een film> scul0ture> and0ainting !hich !ere 0resented inthe t!o galleries usually re0resenting Jeroen de Rijke and Willem de Rooij as artists as if they !ere 0art ofa 0roject of cataloging and collage< -n terms of their formal structure and socialrece0tion these 0aintings Ireinforce as !ell as comment on the 0re=ailing tastes and0o!er%structures of their time and its 0rogrammatic aim a00ears to *e to reconstruct in detail formsof social organiEation and aesthetic meaning in themsel=es extremely com0osite andcom0lex< -t could !ell *e 0recisely this formal language that is at the root of deRooijBs interest in an artist such as dB$ondecoeter> as !ell as at the core of !hat hemeans !hen he defines dB$ondecoeterBs 0aintings and !hat they re0resent as anem*lemof the t!o exhi*itions 0oised *et!een the recording and the inter0retation ofcontem0orary society> also unites the three artists and the !orks included in thesho!> marked *y the systematic dis0lacement of their o*ject of analysis andaffection and *y the constant re%definition of the means and solutions ado0ted tore0resent it: se=en res0ecti=ely three ro*es%manteaux)6*y the fashion designerong%4eng (*< 735."> the narrati=e films and =ideos *y the -sraeli artist ?eren ytter(*< 7399"))(res0ecti=ely &he 1ictim (2)" and &he 8ates Series(2#" in 'arisD &al andamaah (27"> rench ilm(22"> and othing(25" in ologne"> and t!o scul0turalinstallations *y German artist -sa GenEken (*< 73#." Marsi0ulami(739)"> Euri iori(7399"> 'aradijs=ogel(7399"> 'arasol(7393"> nni=ersario(73.7"< -n ologne Marsi0ulami> 'arasoland nni=ersario su0erim0osing iton that of ong%4eng are reci0rocally detached and de%contextualiEed from theformer< What emergesKthe exhi*ition> in shortKis 0resented as a 0latform on !hich

!orks and their o!n definingrulesKdis0lay strategies and layouts> documentarymaterials> etcKcoexist des0ite their intrinsic and chronological differences> theirdi=erse socio%cultural contexts> and the media em0loyed *y them< n o0erati=e0latform !hich> *y means of these confrontations and o=er and a*o=e thedifferences *et!een the final !orks and their H0re0aratoryB or HcontextualB material>generates meaning and =isually documents this 0rocess it is as if de Rooijis su*stituting the artists ?eren ytter and -sa GenEken !ith the de Rijke / de Rooijduo: in other !ords> *y analyEing the !ay in !hich ong%4engBs clothes are insertedinto theJeroen de Rijke / Willem de Rooijsho!> it is 0ossi*le to affirm that the criticaland aesthetic a00roach 0ursued *y de Rooij as an artist is analogous to the oneado0ted *y him as curator in the exhi*itions at the Galerie hantal rousel and theGalerie 8aniel +uchholE made of gilded chamois leather!ith a00liFuOson the neck and slee=es> !hile on the skirt a num*er of leo0ards inthe frican ste00e are de0icted< &he original dress !as made for Mathilde Willink(735.;99"> a famous socialite in 739s msterdam and !ife of the magical realist0ainter arel Willink (73;.5"< Mathilde Willink a00ears !earing this dress in a0ainting 0roduced *y her hus*and in that same year> under the title fscheid =anMathildethe etherlands> together !ith a 0hotogra0h *y the famous fashion and 0u*licity0hotogra0her 'aul $uf (732#;22" sho!ing the 0ainter and his !ife in the studio!hile the 0icture !as *eing 0ainted< &he original dress is on dis0lay in the msterdam

$istorical Museum< -n 7339 the Scheringa Museum !hose collections include otheroriginals of ong%4engBs 0roduced a re0lica of 4ui0aardnamed 4ui0aardmantel --> toaccom0any WillinkBs 0ainting< -n 733. fashion 0hotogra0her 1enus 1eldhoen made a0ortrait of ong%4eng> !earing this re0lica in the rhino enclosure at +urgers Poo inrnhem 'aul $uf and arel Willink !ere in=ol=ed in the cultural and society life oftheir time> and 0layed a significant 0art in defining the !ays> in !hich it !asre0resented< &he !ork of Jeroen de Rijke and Willem de Rooij is al!ays concerned!ith the analysis of =arious means of re0resentation and their origins> *y examininghistorical and cultural o*jects< &his analysis s0ans a *road range of imagery> fromartistic 0roduction to mass media> in their res0ecti=e relationshi0s to contem0orary0olitical and social frame!orks< -n WillinkBs 0aintings> in ong%4engBs dresses> in $ufBs

0hotogra0hs (!hich at first shared common ground as status sym*ols> !orn at

37


38/47

society e=ents> 0u*lished in 0o0ular magaEines and =olumes of 0hotos and sooncollected *y 0u*lic museums" de Rooij in fact e=okes and examines the genesis ofand connections *et!een the s0ecific re0resentations> !hich result from theserelationshi0s and interactions< n exam0le for this a00roach can *e seen in theinter!ea=ing *et!een the indi=idual !orks and their authors: Mathilde is !earingong%4engBs dress in WillinkBs 0ortrait> she is 0hotogra0hed !ith her hus*and *y $uf>!ho in turn (and in other 0hotogra0hs" 0ortrays ong%4eng and Mathilde !e are here onthe contrary 0resented !ith =ariations of it on s0ecific iconogra0hic and connotati=e0lanes> indicated !ithin a gi=en context !hich> thanks to this o0erationKat the sametime o*jecti=e and inter0retati=eKre=er*erates in all its semantic and aestheticcom0lexity de Rooij concentrateson reconstructing the scenario !hich they de0ict and the manner in !hich thisreconstruction is o*tained in the context of a museum< &hat is to say> he makes use ofthe dynamic connections *et!een these o*jects and ex0loits the reci0rocalim0lications *et!een the critical and documentary a00roach (collection and analysisof the o*jects" and the aesthetic a00roach (the staging and mise%en%scUneas there=italiEation of an ex0erience"> thus 0lacing himself outside the su00osed di=ide*et!een the 0resentation of the original o*ject> its dislocation> its a00ro0riation> thein=ention (creation" of an inde0endent ne! !ork from the original one that is themulti0le status of their critical and aesthetic 0raxis< &hanks to the careful *alance*et!een the 0remises and the further 0ossi*ilities that might s0ring from these0remises in his o!n current artistic research> it also confirms de RooijBs interest in theanalysis of exhi*ition strategies related to HdocumentaryB material> that !as already0ursued *y de Rijke / de Rooij in their 0re=ious colla*orati=e !ork this section confirms that the 0resentation (in the exhi*ition s0aces" ofthe themes> the formal and com0ositional com0onents and the meaning structures>that lie at the =ery *asis of their !orks as a means of analytical ex0loration> 0lays asignificant role in this analysis< t the same time this mode of 0resentation 0ro=ides asynthetic ex0erience of the !orks themsel=es MagaEin#> +regenE> January 5;March 75> 26" &his sho! is re0roduced in 0art in theMM*o exhi*ition26;e*ruary 72> 2)" in !hich !orks from the museumBs collection !ere incor0orated *y de

Rijke / de Rooij< &hey connected u0 and sho!ed to the 0u*lic a num*er of 0ossi*le sources forthe film Mandarin 8ucks< &his sho! is re0roduced in 0art in the ?27 exhi*ition 73397)mm color film> o0tical sound76 min ?ln

+antar Ge*ang> 256mm color film> o0tical sound7 min ?ln

-Bm oming $ome in orty 8ays> 27%0rint framed

72# x 7.5 cmollection Ringier

39


40/47

&he 'oint of 8e0arture> 22%0rint framed729>6 x 7.9 cm'ri=ate collection> ?ln

aucasian Rug> Shir!an> +aku> ca< 7.> 22

%0rint52. x 7)5 cm'ri=ate collection> ?ln

4otto ar0et> 0ro*a*ly Yshak> Western natolia> 79 thcentury> 25%0rint222 x 759 cm'ri=ate collection

+ergama> West natolia> ca< 7.6> 25%0rint272 x 7.#>6 cm

'ri=ate collection> P@rich

'ersian Rug> -sfahan> 'olonaise> early 79 thentury> 25%0rint255 x 7#. x 6 cmollection Ringier

natolian Rug> ?emerihisar> late 73thentury> 25%0rint5## x 7## cm

ollection 8eka+ank

+ouFuet -1> 26lo!er *ouFuet> */! 0hotogra0h722>6 x 722>) x 2># cm!ritten descri0tionM?? Museum f@r Moderne ?unst> rankfurt am MaincFuired !ith funding *y the 'rins +ernhard ultuurfonds from the ?necht%8renth onds>msterdam

Mandarin 8ucks> 267)mm color film> o0tical sound

5) min ?ln

Partial reconstr$ction of the ehi&ition

Together * Jeroen de Rijke / Willem de Rooij

aga+in,- .regen+- Jan$ar/ 01 * arch !0- 2113

&ogether> 26Re0rint of the original exhi*ition 0oster7)9>6 x 77. cmourtesy MagaEin#> +regenErchi=e Willem de Rooij

Selected 'u*lications> 733#%2#> 26'rinted matterrchi=e Willem de Rooij

4la&oration of the two ehi&itions

The Floating Feather(5alerie Chantal Cro$sel- Paris- 6ecem&er 2117).irds in a Park(5alerie 6aniel .$chhol+- 89ln- %#ril 211:)

ong%4eng

4ui0aard> 73954eather> silk> suedeh< 766 cmmsterdams $istorisch Museum> msterdam

'aul $ufMatilde 0osing for Ifscheid =an Matilde> 7396%0rint6.>6 x 6.>6 cmScheringa Museum =oor Realisme> S0an*roek

ong%4eng4ui0aardmantel -->73394eather> suedeh< 766cmScheringa Museum =oor Realisme> S0an*roek

41


42/47

Jeroen de Rijke / Willem de Rooij

urators:

Gianfranco Maraniello> ndrea 1iliani

1enue: MM*o ; Museum of Modern rt of +ologna=ia 8on MinEoni 7# ; +ologna

Axhi*ition dates: 0ril> 2th; June .th2.

,0ening hours: &uesday ; Sunday 7 am ; ) 0m&hursday 7 am ; 7 0mMonday closed

'rices: full 0rice ` )reduced 0rice ` #

-nformation: tel< 53 67 )#3))77fax 53 67 )#3))

42


43/47

infomam*o%*ologna


44/47

&he !ork +ouFuet -1!as realiEed !ith the contri*ution of :

InfoM/M*o ; Museo of Modern /rt of +ologna=ia 8on MinEoni 7# ; +olognatel< 53 67 )#3))77 % fax 53 67 )#3))infomam*o%*ologna


45/47

Guided =isits and Aducational !orksho0sreser=ations reFuired for grou0s and school =isitstel< 53 67 )#3))2) ; )2.mam*oeducomune direction Ienter> get off in 8on MinEioni *us sto0,r

rom the 0arking 0roceed to!ards the to!n center on foot till 'iaEEa 1--

o=em*re

45
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


46/47

&urn left in =iale 'ietro 'ietramellara&urn right in =ia 8on MinEoni$igh!ay 75&ake the exit +ologna rco=eggio'roceed on +ologna main ring road&ake the exit num*er 6 (4ame"'roceed as a*o=e

+y train % *usrom Rail!ay Station take the *us num*er 56> direction I,s0edale MaggioreGet off in 8on MinEoni *us sto0

+y 0lane % *usrom the air0ort take the s0ecial shuttle +4> direction IRail!ay stationrom Rail!ay Station take the *us num*er 56> direction I,s0edale MaggioreGet off in 8on MinEoni *us sto0or more information 0lease =isit & !e* site (+ologna 0u*lic trans0ort"or detailed information a*out trains from / to +ologna 0lease =isit S !e* site(-talian rail!ays"

CO


47/47

'u*lic relation'atriEia Minghettitel< 67 )#3))760atriEia

Jeroen de Rijke Willem de Rooij

Documents

Transcript of Jeroen de Rijke Willem de Rooij