Exhibition
Sybren de Boer. Into the Mystic
16 May 2015 – 27 Jun 2015
Address
- Korte Achterstraat 2a
- Hoorn
North Holland - 1621 GA
- Netherlands
The work Sybren de Boer developed during his residency at HMK, originates in the fire that largely destroyed the Maria chapel in 1877.
About
De Boer is particularly interested in how this event forms a moment of transition for the building. Although the chapel has had many different functions since the fire, this event holds such iconic power that it gives rise to several possible narratives. By reintroducing a mythological form of destruction, De Boer creates another intermediate phase which has the potential for new rituals and stories.
The artist found such destructive power about 130 kilometres north of Hoorn on the bottom of the Wadden Sea. Here lies the Zuidwal volcano: the only volcano of the Netherlands. By resurrecting this volcano in the Maria chapel, De Boer reconstructs a hidden history that is has been concealed because of its inconceivable consequences. The construction of the crater creates a new phase in the life of the chapel, just as the fire of 1877 heralded the transition to a new purpose. De Boer wants to use this undefined moment as an opportunity to give rise to improvisation and association: a place where the conventional becomes a mystery and the everyday turns special.
Into the Mystic is part of a series of works entitled In Search of Golden Adventures. In this series De Boer casts stories and adventures into material form without using the usual elements of a narrative, such as dialogue or characters. The works are inspired by the logic, visual imagery and the pre-digital special effects of science fiction films of the sixties and seventies. This genre is ideally suited for thought experiments, allowing for a looser approach to logic and reason. Because of this, the works suggest new stories, but this promise can only be fulfilled by the public. Exhibitions that already took place in the framework of this series are: Unscheduled Course Correction(Location Z) and Shit is the New Gold (Baracca).
On May 30 from 20.00 till 21.30 hours, an artists’ talk and screening will take place at Hotel Maria Kapel. The screening is compiled by Sybren de Boer and consists of a collage of clips from various films and documentaries that are a direct or indirect inspiration for this project and the overall context of In Search of Golden Adventures.
This residency and exhibition is kindly supported by Mondriaan Fund, the municipality of Hoorn, and Stroom Den Haag.
