The unique group exhibition ‘Stream of Consciousness’ brings together perception-challenging works by artist collective Troika, Tom Lore de Jong and Goof Kloosterman. The title of the show refers to a term mostly used in literature which describes the notion of a stream of thoughts and feelings that pass through the mind. It is used as a narrative mode in which the interior monologue is written down and never directly addresses the reader but gradually guides him/her through the story. As if the reader is the one experiencing and finding out the occurrences that happen in the tale. All the artists in ‘Stream of Consciousness’ use a similar approach in their work by challenging the visitor’s perception and arousing a certain feeling of wonderment. Confronting the public with confusion and wonder moves them towards an active and curious approach.
The works by artist collective Troika formed by Conny Freyer (DE, 1976), Eva Rucki (DE, 1976) and Sebastien Noel (FR, 1977), often present a double, deceptive nature, a constant loop between what they seem to be and what they are. The epitome of this is ‘Squaring the Circle’ (2013). Inspired by Edwin Abbott’s satirical novel Flatland (1884) where the inhabitants of a two-dimensional world cannot recognise or perceive a three-dimensional object, the sculptures become a mutation of different forms which are perceived depending on the position of the observer. One more time, the experience of seeing and knowing lies at the heart of the work, as both the shape of the square and the circle are contained in one object.
Troika live and work in London. Troika’s work has been shown in numerous exhibitions at institutions such as: the Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, Karlsruhe (2015 and 2013), the Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg (2015), Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg (2015), Centre PasquArt, Biel/Bienne (2015), Drawing Room, London (2015), Haus Konstruktiv, Zurich (2015), the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (2009), The Art Institute of Chicago (2009), the MoMA New York (2008), Tate Britain, London (2007). Their work is represented in the permanent collections of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, British Council, The Art Institute of Chicago, Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of Modern Art New York. In 2014 Troika was selected to present their work Dark Matter at Unlimited, Art Basel.
Dutch artist Tom Lore De Jong (NL, 1988) tries to add as little as possible to the works he creates. By doing so he makes it possible to comprehend grand themes in a minimalistic form. Phenomena such as time, light, space, repetition and endlessness are important for Lore de Jong. He challenges himself and the viewer to realize our significance in the world by choosing these grand and elusive themes. With small and simple gestures, he intrigues the spectator and takes him along on a journey through his thoughts. His practice is characterized by his personal fascination for certain phenomena which totally absorb all of his energy and interest. In ‘Stream of Consciousness’ he among others presents his latest research in visualising the Earth’s innermost part, which led him to the exhaustible task of drawing a line of 10,994 km on an endless piece of paper.
Lore de Jong lives and works in Amsterdam. He graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2013, the same year he won the Ron Mandos Young Blood Award during the gallery’s Best Of Graduates show. His work was shown a.o. at P//////AKT in Amsterdam, Foam in Amsterdam, Arti et Amicitiae in Amsterdam, Swim with the current, stand like a rock at Manifesta headquarters in Amsterdam and Gemeentemuseum Den Haag.
For the Dutch artist Goof Kloosterman (NL, 1989) a certain curiosity or fascination for things is often the starting point for his work. Especially his interest in techniques and mechanisms are an important source of inspiration. His works are so called test set-ups with which he explores the notion of perception, both the personal perception as well as the way in which certain devices create an image. Never losing sigh of the borders between the logical, rational character of a machine and the exploring, irrational nature of human behaviour. His test set-ups are based on a range of transformations which lead the spectator from an original image to a new, often alienated and abstract version.
Kloosterman lives and works in Utrecht. Just like Lore de Jong, he won the Ron Mandos Young Blood Award, in 2014. In the same year he graduated from the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht. His work was shown a.o. at STRP Biënnale in Eindhoven, UNFAIR in Amsterdam, TENT in Rotterdam, Kunstpodium-T in Tilburg, Circa…Dit in Arnhem, Swim with the current, stand like a rock at Manifesta headquarters in Amsterdam and Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven.
