Erris Huigens / Passer-by
27 February - 31 March 2024
FORM
Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Erris Huigens challenges conventional norms of perception. This project transcends a mere exhibition, unfolding in various phases that are both external and internal, revisiting different stages of a construction act. What is observed, in this documentation, is a work in progress, where it remains uncertain if the finished form is what is depicted in the photographs, or if there is ever a final form as opposed to phases relative to the viewer's observation.
Photographing structures made of concrete, still in the midst of construction, Huigens, is not creating "a situation" in the conventional sense of the term. Rather, he is highlighting and revisiting the unintentional works that have been created by architects and construction workers within an evolving construction site. By suspending a normal building construction process for several hours, the intriguing part of the project lies in its subtlety.
The reinforced concrete structures, which seem to reference authors from minimalism like Serra, LeWitt, Carl Andre, etc., remain intact, unaltered, for a brief period before being reassembled into a new form functional to the dwellings they will soon constitute. However, the real momentary transformation they undergo is through the lens of the passer-by, who places them in an entirely new dimension, where they are recognized, recontextualized, and analyzed as central objects of the project.
Unlike a compact sculpture in a museum or a ready-made object in an art gallery, these artworks span vast surfaces, dominating cityscapes and drawing attention purely by their magnitude. They are a testament to the often ignored beauty of the mundane and the impermanence of human endeavors.
In this project, Huigens explores the theme of language, which serves as a conduit for transience within this context, effortlessly connecting documentation, sculpture and performance, this convergence culminates in a result that is both unique and indistinguishable.
The notion of language here is not merely a tool for communication but an integral component of the artistic process, blurring the lines between mediums and creating an experiential continuum. In doing so, it underscores the ephemeral nature of art itself, where the boundaries of expression are constantly redefined and reimagined, leading to a creative synthesis that defies traditional categorization.
The documentation and portrayal of paintings on blank canvases, along with a tangible sculpture, transcend materiality.
Whether created physically or manipulated by artificial intelligence, these works encapsulate the creative essences logically derived from photographs. They invite contemplation on the need for their physical presence versus the potential to exist solely through documentation, questioning their inherent reality. The project interweaves objects, surfaces, whiteness, concrete, materiality, ephemerality, and transience. Each exhibit by Huigens, inherently ephemeral, persists through its documentation. In this endeavor, he photographs, generates ideas, partakes in physical labor, constructs structures.