Youthquake II
Matthew Brotherhood, Milli Brown, KR Buxey, Stefaan Dheedene, Telka van Dodewaard, Jungme Fritzenkotter, HAP, Kris Hymoller, Annemiek Kranen, Laerke Lauta, Yves Maes, Thierry Mandon, Gail Pickering, Kathrin Schlegel, Peter Vink, Stan Wannet, Michelle WilliamsContinuing on from the successful YOUTHQUAKE in '99, W139 once again presents a unique selection of work by newly qualified artists. Theirs is the task to reveal their work to you, and you have the chance to reaffirm or reverse you opinions of budding art.
At YOUTHQUAKE II, the accent is on robust, sturdy installation and creative video. A veritable 'wunderkammer' of images displaying the energetic freshness of youthful elan. It should also be said, however, that the selection was based on professionalism and personal quality. All those exhibiting qualified last June in (post) academies in the Netherlands, England, Denmark and Belgium.
The exhibition begins well with Gail Pickering's minimal trash; a wall that shoots raw peas at unsuspecting visitors, who are then given the chance to take their revenge on the rest of the public.
The videos by K.R. Buxey, Michelle Williams and Kathrin Schlegel portray a particular kind of intimacy. All too often, personal physical intimacy is confused with personal qualities, but these artists manage to touch their audience with their intimate outbursts. Schlegel's 'De poging om een rauw ei te pellen' (='The attempt to peel a raw egg'), demonstrates Vermeer-like concentration and vivid beauty.
Kris Hymöller, Peter Vink, Alex Fischer and Millie Brown join together to construct a new form of integration in back-room architecture. Replicas made from hundreds of screws, an over-the-top system of pipes, a tree as a pillar and stairs built from polystyrene foam; each and every one a work that redefines and transforms space.
The HAP boys are activists in the very best sense of the word, and Jungme Fritzenkötter asks us the question 'what is better than an orgasm?' Contrasting with this, Stefaan Dheedene's tranquil sculptures radiate a piercing clarity.
Thierry Mandon's projections exude poetic simplicity; brief thoughts that produce maximum impact. Mandon's contribution, in a space between the larger rooms, forms a part of the final examinations he still has to take (for the Sandberg Institute).
Telka van Dodewaard shows us the utter desolation of camping architecture, and Laerke Lauta trades in colourful sculptures using a mass of media and materials. A little further on is the machinery used by Stan Wannet; an ingenious combination of small instruments and servomotors. Annemiek Kranen makes use of visitors to the opening to bring her message across; 'I need privacy' or simply 'Sod off'.
Finally, we encounter the works of Ives Maes and Matthew Brotherhood, which herald the arrival of a completely new type of imagery. Brotherhood would appear to be a classic artist on the surface, but he blends the contours of painting and sculpture in one smooth, if not ironic, movement. Ives Maes puts the sanctity of art and the public's nerve to the test with the smallest contribution to this exhibition. Would you dare to stub out your cigarette in an ashtray fashioned from the flesh of a penis?