The Ravestijn Gallery presents Nude - Arising From The Ground
Comprising sculpture, photography and film, and inspired by Eadweard Muybridge's 19th-century collotypes, Mariken Wessels' most recent work is being exhibited at The Ravestijn Gallery in Amsterdam from March 14-April 25. The work explores the motion of nude bodies and many aspects of the human form.
Due to the measures in place due to the coronavirus this exhibition has moved online. Enjoy a virtual tour now!
Exhibition at the Ravestijn Gallery
The Ravestijn Gallery presents the exhibition Nude - Arising From The Ground by Mariken Wessels. The exhibition will officially be opened by Benno Tempel, director of the Kunstmuseum in The Hague, in the presence of the artist. A new book, designed by Hans Gremmen, entitled Miss Cox (Nude - Arising from the Ground) will be launched during the opening. This date has yet to be confirmed.
About the artist Mariken Wessels
Prior to her visual practice, Wessels studied acting at the Amsterdam Theatre School and, after a decade-long acting career, she went on to study visual arts at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy. Wessels’ work has been widely exhibited, including solo exhibitions at the Fotomuseum Antwerp (2016) and Fotomuseum The Hague (2017).
Wessels has published numerous books, most notably Taking Off: Henry my Neighbor, published in 2015 with Art Paper Editions which met international acclaim. The book was awarded an honorary appreciation at the Leipzig Book Fair (Best Book Design from all over the World, 2016), won the Author Book Award at Les Rencontres d’Arles (2016) and was included in the selection for Best Book Designs from the Netherlands and Flanders (2015). Wessels’ latest book, Miss Cox (Nude – Arising from the Ground), is published by Fw:Books.
Wessels’ works and books have been collected by museums, libraries and private collectors worldwide including Centre Pompidou (Paris), ICP and MoMA (New York), Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Munich), Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), Fotomuseum Antwerp (Belgium), and the Verbeke Foundation (Belgium).
The inspiration
Miss Cox (Nude – Arising from the Ground) is a many-sided artistic translation of artist Mariken Wessels’ fascination with an anonymous woman who had posed for Eadweard Muybridge’s camera in 1885. In the 24-image sequence Arising from the Ground (plate 286), the obese woman, who was supposedly named Miss Cox, can be traced from lying down to a fully upright position. Affected by her appearance, Wessels began to make large clay sculptures and photograph obese female models swimming underwater.
In these photographs, Wessels focuses on the landscapes which a body assumes impressed by water. Besides the underwater series and photographic views of the sculptures, Miss Cox also contains studio views including sketches and other research materials.
Plan your visit to the exhibition
The Ravestijn Gallery is located at Westerdok in Amsterdam, within walking distance of the central station. The exhibition runs from March 14-25 and gallery opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 12pm-5pm. Plan your visit now and don't miss this wonderful exhibition.