A SCULPTURE LIKE YOU AND ME
2016 / 2017
Collaboration with Sarah Boers
Performance, ca. 25 min
De Appel Arts Centre Amsterdam, Art Rotterdam, Linköping University Sweden, Lokaal 1B
Do you own your body? Is your body an object? Or a collection of objects? Can you sculpt and sell your body parts? Do objects have any will of their own? Are you a sculpture?
Medical ethicist and general practitioner in training Sarah Boers and artist Sijben Rosa investigate the ambiguous nature of objects, and the interchangeable roles of persons and things, through a collaborative performance. Boers begins by talking about her research on organoids: a kind of miniature organ, derived in a laboratory from human stem cells. Sijben interrupts, manipulating the meaning of Boers’ words by instructing her to change position, both in relation to objects made by Sijben and to the audience present.
Suzan Drummen, visual artist and teacher: ‘I haven’t seen such a successful collaboration between an artist and a scientist before. The input of both seemed to exist autonomously next to each other, showing the full scope of their work, while it was clear that the one couldn’t exist without the other. A combination of the currently relevant text, the curious props, the repetition and the nearly self-evident dance of persons and objects created a curious experience. While at the same time, the atmosphere was remarkably relaxed.’
The project exists of two independent but complementary parts: a performance and a publication. The performance premiered at De Appel Amsterdam in June 2016, had a try-out at Lokaal 1B Amsterdam and was shown at Art Rotterdam and Linköping University Sweden. The publication was released in February 2017 within Prospects&Concepts at Art Rotterdam. The publication is a print of the texts and documentation of the objects used in the performance, plus a selection of photos from Sijben’s archive on which these objects were based.
Simone Hogendijk (artistic director Over het IJ Festival) about the publication: ‘I felt a form of involvement when reading the book, that I can imagine would be the same when seeing the performance. The meeting of two lines, a more concrete and a more abstract one, opened new frames for thinking. It made me read and see better.’
The publication can be ordered for 28€ (incl. tax, excl. shipping/ packaging costs 7.98€) via email.
Directory advise by Jantien Koenders. Performance documentation by Konstantin Guz (camera and editing assistance) and Jaap Sijben (sound). Book design by Lotte Lola Schröder. A Sculpture Like You And Me has been made possible with the support of The Apple Amsterdam, the publication budget of the Mondriaan Fund and the 3-package-deal by AFK.
Do you own your body? Is your body an object? Or a collection of objects? Can you sculpt and sell your body parts? Do objects have any will of their own? Are you a sculpture?
Medical ethicist and general practitioner in training Sarah Boers and artist Sijben Rosa investigate the ambiguous nature of objects, and the interchangeable roles of persons and things, through a collaborative performance. Boers begins by talking about her research on organoids: a kind of miniature organ, derived in a laboratory from human stem cells. Sijben interrupts, manipulating the meaning of Boers’ words by instructing her to change position, both in relation to objects made by Sijben and to the audience present.
Suzan Drummen, visual artist and teacher: ‘I haven’t seen such a successful collaboration between an artist and a scientist before. The input of both seemed to exist autonomously next to each other, showing the full scope of their work, while it was clear that the one couldn’t exist without the other. A combination of the currently relevant text, the curious props, the repetition and the nearly self-evident dance of persons and objects created a curious experience. While at the same time, the atmosphere was remarkably relaxed.’
The project exists of two independent but complementary parts: a performance and a publication. The performance premiered at De Appel Amsterdam in June 2016, had a try-out at Lokaal 1B Amsterdam and was shown at Art Rotterdam and Linköping University Sweden. The publication was released in February 2017 within Prospects&Concepts at Art Rotterdam. The publication is a print of the texts and documentation of the objects used in the performance, plus a selection of photos from Sijben’s archive on which these objects were based.
Simone Hogendijk (artistic director Over het IJ Festival) about the publication: ‘I felt a form of involvement when reading the book, that I can imagine would be the same when seeing the performance. The meeting of two lines, a more concrete and a more abstract one, opened new frames for thinking. It made me read and see better.’
The publication can be ordered for 28€ (incl. tax, excl. shipping/ packaging costs 7.98€) via email.
Directory advise by Jantien Koenders. Performance documentation by Konstantin Guz (camera and editing assistance) and Jaap Sijben (sound). Book design by Lotte Lola Schröder. A Sculpture Like You And Me has been made possible with the support of The Apple Amsterdam, the publication budget of the Mondriaan Fund and the 3-package-deal by AFK.