Where Little Things Hide

It seems that little things gather together and just hang out in equal space that I temporarily call my own. I may think I'am the creator of my life but maybe the little things rule my world. And I'm just enslaved to collect them. To provide a thing called 'home' where they thrive and enjoy each others company. They remain solid in my presence but might get into all sorts of trouble once I've left. It becomes visible when words are attached and a story unfolds. How long is a day for them? It turns out their echo lingers on into all sorts of constructions once they are spoken. But very often we dismiss them in our busy life. If I had a maid who would clean everything then I doubt he/she would even notice them...These little ones....

Pony Performance HD @ Paradiso

STOFF calling

Route from Amsterdam to Stockholm by car

Out of 1300 applications from artists from 65 countries the curators of Stockholm's performance art festival STOFF have selected my Pony Performance! I will travel to Sweden together will my Pony Collection and join the festivities  from 22nd to the 25th of August 2012. The contracts and productions schedules are signed. And my mind is spinning to come up with a suitable way to find sponsors for the event. There are the expanses of traveling and staying there as well as building materials and the need to extend my collection with another 100 toy horses. With 315 My Little Ponies onboard I will have the majority of items that have my interest, this amount will look even more haunting than the 212 that I've got already. This might be the shortest blog update since I've started but I would like to leave you with a quote from Charles Eames: 'Take your pleasure seriously'

Drawing Continues

Researching pose-body relation 2012

Yesterday we celebrated our 6420 days of friendship, I decorated the table, got flowers and cooked us a very spicy dinner! Our get-togethers are like my favorite clothes;  effortlessly comfortable mixed with a posh edge. And our laughter is the diamond studded brim! You didn't expect any of this so to see the surprise in your eyes gave me the biggest gratification. From the linen napkins, the Louis XIV silver cutlery to the crystal glasses that sing when we toast, you drank every little detail with the expression of wonder and joy. You love your family unconditionally, but having a little boy and a baby can get the better part of any mother! No worries they all went through it. So to sit back and enjoy the luxury of someone that has taken care of every little detail can indeed be a blissful experience. It was when we had our soup that you asked about my development and what it is I'm currently working on.  I showed you some photo's and talked about the graduation show ideas when you interrupted me with the question;' have you stopped drawing and painting?' I answered that; while they are not very high on my priority list right now, I would always be occupied with them on some level or another. And then I sort of forgot about the subject and we went on... 

First sketch about Boxed Head performance 2012

At 08:30 this morning I received your text message saying you still experienced an afterglow from last night. But my eyes didn't see daylight until 12:30, I guess motherhood kicked back in... While I poured myself a cup of coffee I thought about last night and before I could fill the cup I was going through my sketchbook and saw that it was filled with little ideas, sketches and other drawings. Realizing that it IS an important way to express myself, so I should include it in some way or another during the graduation exhibit in July! THANK YOU JENNEKE! For addressing something I take for granted and that might be very helpful for viewers to read my work. I've put my money on another 6420 days, just so you know!

XDX

Curiosity - Experiment - Experience

The three words above this post are a driving force to keep making new work. People have asked me 'but why do you collect a Pony Performance?' or 'why do you want to bury your head in the earth?' I answer; why do we have the Olympic Games, why do we listen to music, why do we enjoy a walk through a landscape or do we lay on our backs looking at the clouds? Why do these things make us feel alive? They give us an experience that seems very important but it doesn't nourish our physical needs.

I've read 'The Naked Man' by Desmond Morris and although I found it pretty outdated at times, it also approached human kind as another species of animal on the planet earth. For me that was the most interesting element of the book and it was beneficial for my thesis. His chapter about the human need for beauty, art and expression was very insightful. And lingers in the corners of my mind. For there are many things we can't explain in this world. Expression is one of those things people everywhere on earth use by sound, clothing and decorations. Not only to be more attractive, or to tell a story nor even to show their power. Objects wether they are given magical powers or not, are also used for the cheer joy they bring to the mind. The experience of 'wonder' one gets or 'anxiety', even the reaction of 'rejection' when a person is experiencing a piece of art is just as valuable and justified as all others. But art does more, it wants some effort from the viewer. It has its own rules and regulations and can often be dismissed as to rational.

Yes, contemporary art does seem to involve the mind for a great deal. But never forget that we perceive our surroundings with all our senses! Sight, sound, smell and taste are indicators that send little pieces of information to our brains. Where we can translate emotions and thoughts and are able to talk about our experiences. Art being the territory where the 'All Is Possible' does not have to comply with the value of aesthetics.  As example you see three pictures that I shot this weekend. The most important aspect for me is that they are seen as a residue from a performance. That starting point given, I value the photo on the left much more as a sculpture. The one in the middle is more 2 dimensional with only my mouth and the earth as information carriers. And the first one above the page deals much more with motion, movement and time. It is more unsettling than the other two due to the fact it is much more 'in your face'. Once I've deciphered this series I can take a look at them and separate the ones I like from the ones I don't like. And a whole new process of looking, choosing and remaking can begin.

28 GB LOST

Making a performance with more people demands different rules and regulations. In this case my concept was about time, it's unpredictable but recurring state of beginning and end. And whatever happens in the meantime? A continuous force of elements that bounce off one another and creates new interactions. This performance was inspired by the loss of my entire digital music library! About 28 GB was wiped from my laptop at the time and was projected into the void! Now, a few years later my itunes uses 65 GB musical power for my pleasure. And this time it has been copied onto various external hard disks, together with pictures, videos and other documents. This performance ventilated my frustration at the time and with the use of the group materialized that I wasn't the only one to lose those digits...

Wine And Dine

First Concept Telescoping Dining Table with Birds  

My interest in animal experimentation is a steady source that provides me with all sorts of visual imagery. In this attempt I would like to see a variety of birds that get together for a fancy dinner party. Arriving one after the other, to take up ever inch of free space they accumulate by sound and personalities a peak that will shatter all tableware. Leaving a complete and devastated mess behind. It would be fantastic to record this event in real time. The birds with their unpredictable behavior might count for some unexpected events. Will it work? Or is it a lost case to begin with? And should I make an attempt to get some serious SGI guys onboard?  Or it might be a mix of both, doves seem to be rather friendly in comparison with Toucans or other Parrots. So maybe they could be added in a digital way? I have to get more information about the possibilities and what species I would like to use. To be continued...

Transfixed

Muhabbat at Times Square New York City 2012

The BIG Apple

Picture taken from my seat from
US Airlines plane 06-03-12

Arriving at New York LaGuardia Airport made the spirits of the group rise. This was enhanced by the fact that our plane had its course straight over a night lit, downtown Manhattan! The view was breathtaking, one huge blanket of light was spread out over an enormous amount of land. Although the five of us (yes we missed our connecting flight from Phil to NY) added up to a total of about 40 passengers onboard, the impact of the view had everyone under its spell. And while the cabin attendant merrily spoke over the intercom that all electronic devises such as ipod's, ipad's, blackberry's, blueberry's and raspberry's should be switched off during our decent, we were all highly anticipating the adventure that was spread out under our feet. Collecting our luggage, into the bus and on our way to the hotel. Yes we saw the city towers rise in the distance, slowly becoming bigger. But when the bus drove up the Brooklyn Bridge on its course to enter the city, all the lights of the buildings made their second massive impression. This was like nothing I'd seen before. It seemed that they had captured the universe from the spheres above and brought it down to vertical lines that made it impossible to measure scale or depth. And while we moved ahead new buildings arose with  equally lid little stars that I had to remind myself were windows where people were working. No picture, movie or story can contain the effect of New York's first impression, I can only tell you it starts with a BANG!

VPRO

Emilie and me talking about the
Pony collection. 

Unpacking all 212 items.

VPRO de avonden 21 feb 2012
Listen to the radio interview about the Pony Performance by Emilie Kollau for VPRO's De Avonden (click on the orange link above) remember its in Dutch. 

Palais Paradiso 2012 'the talent show'

Main stage Palais Paradiso with video-cube 2012

While the rush of my Pony Performance at Palais Paradiso is still in my veins, the ponies seem to make a continues sound in the back of my head. One hundred and twelve little voices demanding We Want More! So I've decided to make a catalog about the performance and the items that have been participating. Another drive is Stockholm's performance art festival STOFF where I applied for one week of Pony Performances and two lectures about taxonomy-classification and order; why and how we use them. I will incorporate my thesis discoveries for children within the age range of 13 to15 years old. At the same time I'm working on a pitch for a program that funds art- and artists. My goal is to expand my pony collection to over 300 unique items. People will be able to donate all sorts of amounts, I'm still in need for items that cost 20 euros up to items with a price range from 120 euros and more! I want the pitch to be energetic, fun and dynamic for the viewer. So it's easy to understand and fun to be part of this project. Imagine boarding a plane to Stockholm with 312 of my darlings in the overhead compartments! Instead of the belly of the plane where all luggage should be stored. 

Pony Performance Palais Paradiso 2012

Dutch newspapers PAROOL and Volkskrant wrote about the event and radio program VPRO's 'de avonden' interviewed me for about 10 minutes. This edition of the Pony Performance was elaborated with its own soundtrack and light-plan. From within the round stage came a subtile musical score from composers Alexandre Desplat, Danny Elfman, John Brion and Mychael Danna. The performance started with dimmed lights that took about 20 minutes to reach full capacity. And another 20 minutes to return to a dim lit room. These 'transitions' allowed more investigation space for the audience, in the dim lights they felt free to move around and came closer to the stage. The music enabled a steady stream of thoughts and feelings for me. This enhanced my concentration to a peek and created a new high in the experience. I look back at a great experience that, on multiple levels gave me so much more. I found it a pity that I hadn't time to see the other acts,  to build up and take down your own stage does take some time. But friends and family filled me up with those stories after the event. 

Overview of The Talent Show edition of Palais Paradiso 2012

Dennis Verbeke - Nederlands Dans Theater 2 - Renee van Trier

Uta Eisenreich - The Game - Ieke Trinks - Emile Zile

Each sold separately

Paradiso is mostly famous for its great concerts and parties. Today however, something different is going down in this legendary place. Every year a range of different artists are invited to show fine arts and performance live for Palais Paradiso. This years theme is 'The Talent Show', a satirical reference to the enormous amount of talent shows we're bombarded with nowadays. The contestants will show off their best tricks, especially for you!

Palais Paradiso is a combination of performance, film, installations and music art. And the upcoming fourth edition will even have a spectacle show! The stage is set to hold the following complete series of G1 My Little Pony items:

Screencap 80's commercial

-Earth Ponies -Schooltime Ponies -Princess Brush N Grow -Rainbow Curl Ponies -Twinkle Eyed Ponies -Sundae Best Ponies -Collector Ponies -Sunshine Ponies -Flower Ponies -Unicorns & Pegasus Ponies -Loving Family Ponies -Cookery Ponies -Brush N Grow Ponies -Perfume Puff Ponies -Dance N Prance Ponies -Sweet Kisses Ponies -Merry Go Round Ponies -Sparkle Ponies -Twice As Fancy Ponies (both series) -Romance Ponies -Rock N Beat Ponies -Princess Ponies (both series) -Tropical Ponies.

There are also series that are not completed yet, they are: -Seven Character Ponies -Rainbow Ponies -Big Brother Ponies -Happy Tales Ponies and the Birthflower Ponies. They are ready to take on the stage, they blend together and make one big colorful landscape of a boy's dream...

Screencap 80's commercial

Green Light at Rietveld

Expect the best, be prepared for the worst, 

fuck what others think and do your own thing!

Entrance of my installation

It has been two weeks since the Green Light assessment. I received the Thumbs Up for the upcoming months! The entire group of 5th year; teachers and students went out to dinner. The vibe was electric. Many happy faces with the expression of relief from the hard work that got us all tied to a knot. We had a change to enjoy great food and nice wine, to chit-chat with each other and to celebrate the fact that the final stage had begun. I decided to read the comments from the eight headed dragon committee when I was at home. The evening was all about having fun, sharing stories and to unwind.

Now that the dust has settled, it's time to pick up  and integrate their comments and advise. One thing that stands out is a more refined grip on my talent, the ability to step back from the work and to look at it again from another point of view. It is their belief that it will be very beneficial to gain a certain distance. Point taken. But most of all and most importantly I realized how conditions form  the outcome of my work. A certain field of energy is projected into the subject of attention. To master thát field is where a lot of knowledge can be gained. I want to use these last months to get a grip on this process, not to be directed to a certain position where I do not want to be but to mold and experiment and create ONE THING that really is a great piece of art. Strong, tangible and solid!

One part of the Green Light installation