A Spell in the Alphabet Soup

About

A Spell in the Alphabet Soup marks Mike Bourscheid’s first exhibition in the Netherlands. The starting point of the work is the family home and its complexities. In the work, Mike uses carefully handcrafted costumes, props and prosthetics that allow him to constantly transform his own identity.

In his featured film Agnès for example, Mike’s nose turns from red to blue to yellow and green, as a silent expression of an ever-changing character. In the film, other body parts like hands and feet also possess their own personality. They chat with each other, share their dreams and fears, they help each other and fight like siblings do. They form a community of individuals. The characters in the film are inspired by the artist’s mother, who raised her child as a single parent.

Mike’s work blurs the lines between object and subject, revealing the personalities within everyday items. In the installation at 1646, for instance, a group of stained glass houses grow herbs inside of them. Each individual character nurtures and protects their herb, each with their own medicinal qualities. Mike’s work gives a stage to various personae, blending family anecdotes, fictional narratives, domestic activities, and ideas on masculinity.

From clown to cowboy, and from talking hands to caring glass houses, the artist celebrates a child’s rich imagination and ways of storytelling that often become restricted by rationality later in life. Through his art, Bourscheid playfully examines and challenges traditional family roles, relationships and patriarchal power structures, ultimately questioning societal norms and conventions.

Join us for the opening on Friday 1 September from 19:00 onwards.