Kaleb de Groot – AiR Binnenlandatelier MondriaanFonds

Bio

Kaleb de Groot describes his work as psycho-geography, a term that encapsulates his work that investigates the relation between geographical locations/forms and individuals that operate, live in, and utilize these surroundings. Through these investigations, De Groot emphasizes architectural perspectives and meaning creation in perpetually shifting global environments and how they affect the psyche of communities and individuals. He has worked on many different projects in China, Zambia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Curacao and his native Netherlands, where he resides and from which he works.

 

Rendition Redux

In 2008 after a residency in Zambia, he enjoyed a short working period at the AGA to produce a travel Log. Three years later he investigated, in Genk (Flacc) what 3d scanning and digital printing can be of help for his sculptural/ architectural practice.

The constant transition of elements in his work is an important part of it. He would not say it revolves around itself but rather that the dynamic surrounding has an everlasting influence on it. This takes me to a very wide array of media and styles. The aesthetic and the abject are easily incorporated . And industrial production and craftsmanship are an inherent part of it.

 

BinnenlandAtelier

The reason for my application to the Tijdelijk BinnenlandAtelier residency period at AGA LAB and the Waag is that I have the idea that i just skimmed the posibilities. There are numerable sketches for new work which he will produce during this interesting temporary match of facilities.

The two plans that he would like to focus on during his artist in residence period (September – October 2016) are as following:

As you can read in the text above he travels quite a bit for longer term projects. The travelling made him think about transport, inspiration, focus and geographical influence. Some of the sculptures he produces travel with him. This is to charge (animate) them or to take them out of their comfort zone.

Last summer he spent four months on Curacao at the IBB institute. On the Island he found an industrial ruin which got burned down a few years previous. The ruin had such an overwhelming sculptural/ architectural impact on him that this readymade needed to be incorporated in his art practice.

His proposal is to investigate how to rebuild this ruin via several media. Maybe in a virtual reality environment but then combined with silkscreened inflatable structures. He has made digital reinterpretations of sculptures and found objects. In China he built an inflatable requiem for a fisherman’s village. But has not combined the two just yet. He is very curious to find out what is going to happen when he creates a balanced collision of place and narrative. In the media of analog print and digital space.

For the second plan he would like to produce an artist book. That contains a travel log as a basis for the narrative. Also this small edition of printed matter will deal with the above mentioned topics of migrating ideas and inspiration. The continuing flux of context, while on the road, will be a challenge to detain in a book. He imagines that using unorthodox-inks, homemade paper and digital media for printing will contextualise this travelog which will be made in a small edition.

 

Image: ‘Brick at Barricade Demo’ Flacc, Genk. 2012/2013. Photo by Kristof Vrancken.


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