Guido van der Werve | Nummer eenentwintig – Palpable Futility
Opening Sabato 17 Febbraio 2024, dalle 19 alle 21
Monitor è lieta di presentare Nummer eenentwintig – Palpable Futility, la quinta mostra personale di Guido van der Werve presso la galleria. In esposizione, un nuovo insieme di opere che comprende fotografie e tre video correlati al suo primo lungometraggio, Nummer achttien – The Breath of Life, debuttato in Italia a Schermo dell’Arte nel novembre 2023.
Guido van der Werve (nato a Papendrecht nel 1977) è un artista e regista olandese di fama internazionale, noto per i suoi video in cui riprende le sue performance in cui spinge il suo corpo ai limiti, spesso accompagnato dalle sue composizioni musicali. Inizialmente attratto dalla performance art, van der Werve ha optato per la registrazione video a causa della sua avversione alle esibizioni dal vivo. Nel corso degli anni, le sue registrazioni sono evolute in produzioni cinematografiche più sofisticate pur mantenendo l’immediatezza emotiva dei suoi primi lavori. Questo filo conduttore riflette la sua ambizione di trasmettere un’immediatezza emotiva simile a quella della musica attraverso l’arte visiva.
La sua videografia comprende tredici opere video, tutte numerate in olandese e sottotitolate in inglese. In queste opere, van der Werve esplora i concetti di limite fisico e mentale con una sensibilità romantica, mescolando temi filosofici universali con elementi autobiografici, tra cui la sua passione per la musica, gli scacchi, la corsa e gli sport estremi.
Il suo ultimo lungometraggio, Nummer achttien – The Breath of Life, si basa su un incidente quasi fatale subito dall’artista a Berlino. Nonostante le scarse prospettive di recupero iniziali, la resilienza mentale di van der Werve e la sua straordinaria forma fisica, attribuita al suo coinvolgimento negli sport, hanno contribuito a una quasi miracolosa ripresa. Nummer achttien è strutturato come una serie di movimenti che combinano passato e presente, disperazione esistenzialista e umorismo deadpan, riflessione e creatività, gioia e dolore.
I tre lavori video presenti nella mostra sono atti individuali legati a Nummer achttien – The Breath of Life, sviluppati contemporaneamente e caratterizzati da un approccio ‘autofictional’ simile. Pur affrontando temi simili al lungometraggio, questi lavori funzionano come componenti indipendenti che superano il film mentre ne catturano l’essenza.
Fino al 22 Marzo 2024.
Opening Saturday February 17th, 7-9 pm
Monitor is pleased to announce Nummer eenentwintig – Palpable Futility, the fifth solo exhibition by Guido van der Werve with the gallery. The exhibition showcases a new body of works, including photographs to three new video pieces connected to the artist’s inaugural feature film, Nummer achttien – The Breath of Life, which premiered in Italy at Schermo dell’Arte in November 2023.
Guido van der Werve (Papendrecht, 1977) is a Dutch artist and filmmaker that has gained international recognition for his video documented performances where he pushes his body close to the limits, often accompanied by his own musical compositions. At the beginning of his artistic journey van der Werve became deeply intrigued by performance art, but due to his discomfort with live presentations, he transitioned to filming them using basic video cameras. Over time, these recordings have evolved into more cinematic and complex productions, while retaining the raw emotional immediacy characteristic of his earlier works. This consistent thread in his career reflects one of his main intentions as an artist, to convey an emotional directness similar to that of music within the visual realm.
His videography includes thirteen video works – all numbered in Dutch and subtitled in English. In these pieces, he explores notions of physical and mental limits with a romantic sensibility, often blending universal philosophical themes with autobiographical elements from his life. These include his passions for music, chess, running, climbing, and extreme endurance sports, which have gradually become integral components of his artistic expression.
His latest feature film, Nummer achttien – The Breath of Life, departs from an almost fatal accident the artist endured in Berlin. After facing a complex brain injury, van der Werve’s prospects of recovery were met with little optimism from his doctors. However, his mental resilience and exceptional physical condition, attributed to his involvement in sports, contributed to an almost miraculous recovery. Nummer achttien is structured as a series of movements: it departs from the classical documentary to present us with a series of vignettes that combine past and present, existentialist despair and deadpan humour, reflection and creativity, the joys and pains of remembering and forgetting.
The three video works present in the exhibition are individual acts connected to Nummer achttien- The Breath of Life, as they were developed simultaneously and embrace a similar ‘autofictional’ approach. While exploring similar themes as his feature film, these works are meant to function as independent components that surpass the film while also embodying its essence.
Until March 22nd 2024.
