SWEAT
Solo Exhibition at NEVERNEVERLAND, Amsterdam
Curated by Hélène Webers
2017
Pictures by Anne-Laure Ruffin
SWEAT is a work which manifested itself in the form of an exhibition. The individual works shown can exist alone but in the context of the exhibition they form a unified whole. In the exhibition a relationship between the wall of the exhibition space and the skin of a person is made. Big earring sculptures pierced the walls of the exhibition space and birth marks organically covered the walls.
During the opening three actresses resembling Kim Kardashian, a phenomena in self presentation, came to visit the show in the character of ‘Kim’. They pretended to be old friends of Doris that came to the opening to show their loyalty and to bring emotional support. The actresses communicated visually with the works exhibited and integrated in the social situation of the opening. There was no devision between audience and performer and throughout the whole opening it remained unclear wether or not this was a performance. When other visitors would ask them if they were performing they would kindly work their way around it by answering that ‘perhaps they were a bit overdressed because they didn’t know what to wear as they usually don’t go to art openings’ or ask what a performance is exactly. The movements of the actresses resembled the movements of the other visitors present which opened up the possibility of the other visitors as co-performers and the exhibition as a decor for the social situation/theatre play. By inviting three actresses that looked different from the present art audience I wanted to talk about the perception that is plausible in that situation and use this as a part of the work.
This project is made possible with a generous support of AFK, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst
