Michel Hoogervorst, studio visit, The Hague

During his exhibition Guess Things Happen That Way at Galerie Ramakers (click here for some pictures of that show), Michel Hoogervorst (1961) has opened his studio over the weekends. So i visited him last Sunday.

The studio is in one of the many late 19^th century apartments in my own neighbourhood, so it was a visit just round the corner.

Apart from seeing his works in a studio setting, you can also admire a big wall painting which he changes almost completely every week.

Almost, as some details are maintained.

It is like the growing process he often shows in his paintings: there is an end to it and also the wall painting’s last version will disappear.

Happily some accurate photographs of the different versions have been made.

Things happen that way too.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa Next Door 2017

Content of all pictures courtesy to Michel Hoogervorst

 

Bertus Pieters

Michel Hoogervorst, Guess Things Happen That Way; Galerie Ramakers, The Hague

Some artists need the whole world to give expression to their ideas, others need no more than their daily lives in which flowers in a pot on a shelf and some common words are enough.

Michel Hoogervorst (1961) belongs to the latter.

To quote the title of his present show at Galerie Ramakers, i too guess things just happen that way.

He draws the consequences of his daily existence and that opens a whole world to him and to the viewer.

Measuring from the diversity, quality and quantity of the works on show, which are all recent to very recent, it gives him an almost infinite inspiration.

Such that the exhibition has expanded to his studio where he welcomes visitors in the weekends during the show.

I’ll probably report about that later.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa Next Door 2017

Content of all photographs courtesy to Michel Hoogervorst and Galerie Ramakers, Den Haag

 

Bertus Pieters

Willy De Sauter; Galerie Ramakers, The Hague

Flemish artist Willy De Sauter (1938) presently has his first solo exhibition at Galerie Ramakers. Ramakers shows older and newer works.

Within the framework of geometric abstract compositions De Sauter offers a lot of liberty and space for reflection.

Some works are softened in their outlook by the use of chalk which, in a way, gives them a sense of humaneness.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa Next Door 2017

Content of all pictures courtesy to Willy De Sauter and Galerie Ramakers, Den Haag

 

Bertus Pieters

Quand la nature s’éveille (When Nature Awakens); Galerie Ramakers, The Hague

Reinier Lagendijk

Galerie Ramakers says goodbye to winter with a trio exhibition, showing

Reinier Lagendijk

sculptures by Reinier Lagendijk,

Joncquil

paintings by Joncquil and

Eelco Brand

Eelco Brand

animations by Eelco Brand.

Reinier Lagendijk

Reinier Lagendijk

Lagendijk’s sculptures and installations bring shapes and ways of growing that are both unexpected and seemingly natural.

Joncquil

Joncquil

Joncquil

Joncquil

Joncquil

In Joncquil’s paintings anecdotes seem to be on the verge of their concluding phase.

Reinier Lagendijk

Reinier Lagendijk

Eelco Brand

Eelco Brand

Eelco Brand

Eelco Brand

Brand’s meticulously made animations never reach their concluding phase, running their cycles of birth and rebirth.

Reinier Lagendijk

Joncquil

As a whole the show brings together three very different artists who use aspects of nature very distinctively and powerfully.

Reinier Lagendijk

Lagendijk’s sculptures bind Joncquil’s and Brand’s works very well together, displaying their suggestive expression.

Reinier Lagendijk

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa Next Door 2017

Content of all pictures courtesy to the artists and Galerie Ramakers, Den Haag

 

Bertus Pieters

Ossip; Galerie Ramakers, The Hague

Presently Ossip has an exhibition at Galerie Ramakers.

On a late winter afternoon i popped in at the gallery to have a look and make a few pictures.

Ossips works always remind me of nkisi objects from the Congo Basin.

These objects are usually statues or statuettes representing spirits which contain power and whose power can be influenced by nailing pieces of metal or wood into them.

In that way the course of life is meant to be influenced, usually in a more positive way.

It seems Ossip is doing something like that by re-personalising old photographs and reproductions.

One can only hope it will influence life to make it less painful,

or maybe Ossip’s works illustrate the pain of the absurd.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa Next Door 2017

Content of all pictures courtesy to Ossip and Galerie Ramakers

 

Bertus Pieters

Tomas Rajlich, Galerie Ramakers, The Hague

Quite some time ago i visited Galerie Ramakers to write a review for Villa La Repubblica about the exhibition of works by Tomas Rajlich. Click here to read the full review (in Dutch).

In the mean time there is a new exhibition at the gallery, but here are still some pictures with details of the Rajlich show.

Born in 1940 in Czechoslovakia, Rajlich lived for some forty years in The Hague. Now he is living and working in the Czech republic and in Italy.

Ramakers showed some of his works of the last few decades, while presently there is still an exhibition of Rajlich’s early works at the Gemeentemuseum here in The Hague.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

Content of the pictures courtesy to Tomas Rajlich and Galerie Ramakers.

 

Bertus Pieters

Art The Hague 2016; Fokker terminal, The Hague

Art fairs aren’t the most exciting places to see real surprises and Art The Hague is no exception, in spite of it calling itself ‘quirky’.

To be honest, compared to last year the ascending line seems to have levelled.

Klaas Gubbels – Rento Brattinga

Pieter de Krom – Vonkel

In the offices next to the hangar (places where you might expect something interesting in the very short tradition of this fair in this place) there is little reason for excitement.

Marie Pop – Vonkel

Ko Aarts – Rento Brattinga

Johannes Langkamp – A Gallery Named Sue

Although some interesting items are on show, the arrangements are a bit messy (the best presentations are the rooms of Livingstone gallery and Rento Brattinga), and the Blueprint presentation shouldn’t even be mentioned.

Auke de Vries – Nouvelles Images

Auke de Vries – Nouvelles Images

Auke de Vries – Nouvelles Images

Auke de Vries – Nouvelles Images

Central to the hangar, which serves as the main hall, is Nouvelles Images gallery’s presentation of works by Auke de Vries, one of the grand old men of Dutch sculpture.

Lotte van Lieshout – Galerie Wit

Ruben Terlou – Galerie Fontana

Ruben Terlou – Galerie Fontana

Miranda Meijer – A Gallery Named Sue

Hernán Ardila Delgado – A Gallery Named Sue

Geert Baas – Galerie Ramakers

Eric de Vries – WTC Rotterdam Art Gallery

Further on in the hangar it was the usual stuff, including – of course – some real gems.

Kevin Bauer – Galerie Helder

Micha Patiniott – Heden

Summer Matthews – Aboriginal Art Gallery

Coen Vernooij – Gallery 0-68

Coen Vernooij – Gallery 0-68

Unknown artist – WTC The Hague Art Gallery

Marc Mulders – Galerie Dom’Arte

Still, i know it is a hell of a job organising an annual art fair, but it would be about time to outgrow a bit the sedate image of this town.

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

However, the best place to be is outside and behind the building: it’s Dirty Daisies, a co-operation of 15 artists from The Hague and Amsterdam.

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies is curated by Steef Crombach and there is some good stuff on show.

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

Dirty Daisies

The artists are: Candela Bado, Zeno Beikircher, Yair Callender, Daniel Dmyszewicz, Frederik & Jacob, Doris Hardeman, Josje Hattink, Bas Kaufmann, Koolen & Van de Lande, Tobias Lengkeek, Leslie Nagel, Jeannette Slütter, Marnix van Uum and Victor Yudaev.

Dirty Daisies

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

Content of all pictures courtesy to the artists and galleries

 

Bertus Pieters

Joncquil, Diplopia; Galerie Ramakers, The Hague

There are exhibitions in galleries that show artists’ latest works in one or more disciplines or they show a kind of retrospective of the last few years.

Joncquil’s present show Diplopia at Ramakers gallery, while doing so, also gives more or less one story in a kind of total installation, including film, assemblages, paintings and photography.

He is very much present in this show, as he usually is. For instance in a series of Polaroid pictures he himself emerges as different historic figures, just wearing a hat and having different facial expressions.

But there is a constant interaction with the spectator as well, as there are two opposed mirrors in the same room, making you doubt what the reality is of looking at yourself or others (or to ascertain that this is not a man with a camera).

And there are his shoes, with the invitation to put them on and see how it feels to be the artist.

Joncquil’s work constantly lets you feel how it is to interpret the world around you, whether

it is in the world of design or in the world of painting or art history and philosophy in general.

Birds are there as messengers from a parallel world, either staring at you, or

as feathers growing from a wall or

as flamingoes disguised as walking sticks.

And, talking about sticks, they tell you yet another story.

It’s a great show, without being a circus. So, go and take a look for yourself!

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

Contents of pictures courtesy Joncquil and Galerie Ramakers

 

Bertus Pieters