About
In a major retrospective Revealing the Invisible focuses on the oeuvre of seminal visual arts duo Stansfield / Hooykaas. Elsa Stansfield (Glasgow, Scotland, 1945 - 2004) and Madelon Hooykaas (Maartensdijk, the Netherlands, 1942) have been collaborating since 1972 and belong to the first generation of video artists. They are considered pioneers in their field, with their work influencing many video and multimedia artists today. In 1996 they received the Judith Leyster prize for their oeuvre.
Revealing the Invisible, hosted across gallery spaces at both CCA and Street Level Photoworks, will show works spanning the duo's entire career, including recent work. It represents a return to the city where, 35 years ago, the artists showed their very first video installation at the Third Eye Centre (which would go on to become the CCA).
As they moved to London and eventually, Amsterdam, Stansfield / Hooykaas' role in the development of contemporary Scottish art became less known. This exhibition not only gives the public an opportunity to see many of these works for the first time in Scotland, it also allows us to assert the importance of their role in the development of video in this country and internationally.
Madelon Hooykaas said: âWe've always been drawn to space and time: the tides, the cycle of the seasons and natural elements like radio waves and magnetic fields.
In 2004, when Elsa died unexpectedly, I continued to create new works in the spirit of our collaboration. We use video and photography combined with materials such as stone, aluminium, glass, and phosphor, and we were always interested in making art using the newest technology. Now I am curious as well to see the artworks again.'
âAlongside the exhibitions we decided to make a book. I asked writers from various disciplines scientists, art historians, philosophers to write an essay on our work from their own perspectives, and all the writings reveal parts of the âinvisible' dimension of our oeuvre. The public will be able to experience this too, as we bring together works from different decades, including a recent installation.'
