Sound and light thunder through the halls of the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam. Four installations by contemporary artists are juxtaposed with modern works of art from the permanent museum collection, which includes more than 15,000 objects. These works of art have now been supplemented with revolving sculptures, blinding laser projections, cameras and computers: sensory-stimulating art that wants to go against the grain and gives the visitor the active leading role. But how active does the visitor have to be to see and hear this message?
The red laser circle of artist, and co-curator of the exhibition, Nick Verstand seems to rotate gently around its axis. The young artist, who as a former DJ and party organizer is known for his great audiovisual works, makes it necessary to stand still and take a good look, because does the work really move? His laser projection is placed in space opposite Nazif Lopulissa’s painted white-grey diptych Locomotion- Payness Gray and Jan van Munster’s green-blue twisted neon object, Edged Circle (Edition 2). Lopullissa wants to capture movement in several layers of paint, while van Munster bases herself on the theme of energy. Three diverse works of art from other generations, showing the interplay of movement and stillness on multiple levels.
Senses on edge
This duality between stillness and movement continues to recur throughout the exhibition. The visitor is asked to observe in peace and at the same time sharpen all senses. This physical and mental agility is also necessary to bring the work of artists from the permanent collection, such as P. Struycken, Jan Schoonhoven and Luis Tomasello, to life. The play of light and incidental shadows only come into their own when the viewer observes the works from different angles.
Interdisciplinary artist Heleen Blanken moves between different art disciplines with her work. The installation abiosis (2022) consists of loose objects, sand and a large metal sun, it is the setting for the central larger sculpture. That is reminiscent of a futuristic water lily. Blanken refers to the twentieth-century movement of kinetic art, in which movement was central. She also brings a certain tranquility to her work through the use of organic shapes. The result is an installation that forms a happy polyamorous marriage between material and art forms, nature and technology.
On the top floor, the investigative attitude of the visitor is rewarded with the sound artwork Borderlands by Casimir Geelhoed and Anni Nöps. During the exhibition, the artists continue to adapt the work and approach it as an ongoing research project. A mix of natural and technical sounds echo over your head. The spatial sound installation, with a duration of 15 to 30 minutes, invites you to take a seat on the soft floor in the dark. The work raises several questions. What exactly do you hear? But it also plays on the feeling. Is it fear or tranquility that captures you in this dark attic room?
Ecstasis contains immersive art that brings the various forms of movement to life, but also breaks through the stereotypes by combining multiple artistic disciplines. Going into ecstasy, as the title of the exhibition seems to promise, would be a wonderful side effect, but one thing is certain: physical stagnation is almost impossible. The visitor can always discover new positions, which always offer a different perspective on these works.