DISTANT SUFFERING
work in progress ( 2013 - )
an exhibition in
Luxfer Open Space Česká Skalice, Czech Republic June 11 – August 29, 2021
june 11 – august 29, 2021
www.hansovervliet.com
Maloskalická 40, Česká SkaliceZC hans overvliet www.hansovervliet.com
Luxfer Contemporary art space The eastern Bohemian Luxfer Gallery was founded in March 2010, and focuses on the local presentation of contemporary art. It thus aims to help decentralize the Czech art scene. The experimental platform Contemporary art space which houses Luxfer Gallery, Luxfer Open Space & Residency and the Luxfer Open Space Academy (LOSA!). The organisation gives contemporary artists opportunities to experiment and do research, and thus plays an important role in the communication between the centre and the region. The association organizes exhibitions of contemporary art and educational activities which aim to improve public awareness of contemporary art. They organize art residencies, symposia and run studios. The collective of organizers and curators collaborates on similar projects, both in the Czech Republic and abroad, and since its founding has organized almost 50 solo exhibitions which included major Czech artists, local as artists, but also artists from abroad.
opening night | June 11 artist talk handing out the multiple i.d. of a shared bullet
photos ©2021 | Willy van Houtum
photos ©2021 | Hynek Šnajdar
photos ©2021 | Hynek Šnajdar
the exhibition photography ©2021 Lukáš Jasanský
link catalogue
body of work
DISTANT SUFFERING VI
i.d. of a shared key 2015 presentation in progress work
note
selection from 215 old, cleaned tin cans, spoke of a bicycle wheel, imprint of a key in plaster in the shape of a gold bar inspired by Pity the Nation, Lebanon at War by Robert Fisk. The chapter The Keys of Palestine reverberating with my own experiences in Palestine, inspired this work.
DISTANT SUFFERING XXA
[ difference and repetition ] i.d. of a shared assemble game set 2019 work
1:144 3D Battle Damaged Building Outland Model Railway Office Scene For Child Gift Hand Work Plastic ABS Assemble Game Set (Li Limyt), Filterglass (> 1,0 mm) | Toppershops B.V., plexiglass hood | 25 x 25 x 25 [ x o,3 ] cm., pedestal | 110 x 25 x 25 cm.
DISTANT SUFFERING IV
documentation of a cloud 2015 work place
3 x [ 82,2 x 12,8 cm.] full colour prints on Staples matt paper 170 grs. , mounted on 5 mm. Kapafix | names photographers the Syrian town Kobane / Ain al-Arab, observed from the Turkish village Mursitpinar / in the Sanliurfa region Monday, October 20, 2014
DISTANT SUFFERING XIX dissection of a disappearing cloud CAESUUR 2018 – LUXFER 2021 work in progress
work
cloud, painted with rubble from the spot in Gaza where - the by Israelian army -annihilated Mishal Cultural Center was situated, in extremely diluted East-Indian ink & Arabic gum on Simili Japon, 225 grs. 96,0 x 65,0 cm. in wooden frames, each 97,9 x 66,3 x 4,5 cm. left: dyptych ( 2018 ) with rubble of ruimteCAESUURNL right: ( 2021 ) with rubble of Luxfer Open SpaceCZ with the match/rubblebox Roman send to me
DISTANT SUFFERING I
syrian skies 1,000 days | 2014 leading to DISTANT SUFFERING XXIV i.d. of fading memory syrian skies 3,333 days | 30/05/2021 work
note
11 prints on A4 of photos from newspapers from every year the war lasted plus one photo of Česká Skalice on Canon MP-101 matt photo paper 170 grams, Canon Pixma MG6150 printer the day of our arrival on May 31, 2021, the war lasted 3,333 days . . .
DISTANT SUFFERING II
anatomy of a cloud [ gaza ] | 2014 work
5 full coulour prints on Hahnemüle German Etching 310 grs. , each 82,2 x 12,8 cm., mounted on 10 mm. foam board photo Gaza, Beit Hanoun, 13 August 2014 unknown photographer
DISTANT SUFFERING III
reconstruction of a fall May 18 2012 | April 5 2015 work
2 platters Ø 45 cm. made by Frank ÅsnesNO one crushed and one restored in the traditional Japanese Kintsugi style video including the sound of the crushing platter
on https://vimeo.com/260000940 you’ll find a video link
DISTANT SUFFERING XXI
i.d. of inequality work
200 full colour A1 posters on 135 gr. MC paper with the paraphernalia of ‘travelling / mobility’, placed in public spaces in more than 100 places all over the world, qr-code linking to the main text, catalogue / book in the making, following the process on www.hansovervliet.com you’ll find the catalogue. Photo: ©2021Roman Rejhold.
DISTANT SUFFERING XXB
[ difference and repetition ] i.d. of a shared assemble game set 2019 work
1:144 3D Battle Damaged Building Outland Model Railway Office Scene For Child Gift Hand Work Plastic ABS Assemble Game Set (Li Limyt) Bleached bird feathers Plexiglass hood | 25 x 25 x 25 [ x o,3 ] cm. Pedestal | 5 x 25 x 25 cm.
DISTANT SUFFERING XXI
i.d. a shared bullet 2019 - work in progress work
Mold ‘hot Bullet Shape Mode’ from Etsy, Hong Kong 061207 1 H14-03-020 1 PL191 129 02 187 A, small bottles from Etsy, Hong Kong; High borosilicate glass and corks, volume: 85 oz (25ml), tapwater from Česká Skalice See also www.hansovervliet.com for the video. Photo: ©2021Roman Rejhold.
DISTANT SUFFERING XXE
[ difference and repetition ] i.d. of liquid mobility 2020 work
two art review pages from Dutch newspapers [ NRC / VK ], wallpaper paste Perfix non-woven, paint: Histor black 6372 – matt two Faller rowing boats blue, Artitec H0 Steel A387.09 four threaded rods | Ø 5 mm approximately 50 x 33 cm.
DISTANT SUFFERING XXC
[ difference and repetition ] i.d. of a shared cup of tea 2019 - 2020
work
tea glass | Loctite Super Glue Glas | blood of the artist, sand from Zeeland waiting for sand from Jackson, West Tennessee, U.S.A. plexiglass hood | 25 x 25 x 25 [ x o,3 ] cm. console | 110 x 25 x 25 cm. MDF 9 mm., brass engraved text sign 95 x 50 mm
DISTANT SUFFERING | the project
Since 2013, with the art-series distant suffering, the Dutch artist Hans Overvliet ( Leiden, 1952 ) investigates the role of the media in their representation of (military) violence. This, in the context of themes as perception, memory and identity formation. Overvliet uses a various range of media, symbols and codes, bringing together seemingly dichotomies like beauty and violence, sophestication and brutality, the sublime and the vulgar. Aspects of power, politics, exclusion, censorship and the connection be-tween artist, artwork and viewer find Their place in his multifaceted concepttual oeuvre. The language-image relationship and references to (art) history are always present. As a reporter, Overvliet was an eyewitness to the events in the Middle East during the 1980s. Of course these experiences resonate in distant suffering. The transition into art is inspired by the Dutch Artist Armando 1: It is the beauty of evil, ‘die Schönheit des Bösen’, located in the belly of the evil, looking for a place in the wake of evil in order to show to show himself to me, although it doesn’t amuse me at all. This beauty calls me to transfer the ‘evil’ into the innocent, because of the amoral domain of art.
the ‘evil’ into the innocent, because of the amoral domain of art. Elements of distant suffering were exhibited in the Netherlands, Belgium, Pakistan, Italy, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Sweden and England. Hans Overvliet lives and works in the province of Zeeland. Next to his art-work he is, together with his wife Willy van Houtum, the founder and every day guardian of the 27-year old space for contemporary art: ruimteCAESUUR.
1
Armando, Acknowledgements, About Beauty, 1987
link port folio
Colophon In my diary, which I kept during the residency, I wrote: I am living the privilege to be invited by Roman Rejhold and Kate Štroblová of LUXFER OPEN SPACE in the town of Česká Skalice in the Czech Republic for a residency, an artist talk and an exhibition. Today, July 10, 2021, I still can hardly comprehend what paradise time all the people of LUXFER, especially Roman, have given to my beloved wife Willy and me. So, within the given wretchedness of our language: from deep in both our hearts we really thank you very, very much. The wonderful photos in this catalogue are made by Lukáš Jasanský. A short introduction for non-Czech people: The artistic duo of Lukáš Jasanský and Martin Polák has played a central role in Czech art of the past twenty years, contributing fundamentally to redefining the position of photography within contemporary Czech art. They have created some of the most lucid and artful commentaries on various phenomena of Czech life. Indeed, this is the quality LUXFER OPEN SPACE offers the art world. Last but not least: the exhibition maker Willy van Hou-tum shifted the individual art-works into a well received exhibition. Financial support Vleeshal/Stichting Beeldende Kunst Middelburg (SBKM)
back page: January 21, 2022 | photo Roman Rejhold
DISTANT SUFFERING
work in progress ( 2013 - ) exhibition in LUXFER OPEN SPACE Česká Skalice | Czech Republic
www.hansovervliet.com