Merijn Kavelaars presents My Dogma
New solo exhibition in Art Chapel in Amsterdam, 10-13 September 2020
Amsterdam, 9 September 2020 – Analogue art combined with video mapping. These are the ingredients for My Dogma, the new solo exhibition by Merijn Kavelaars that is on show in the Art Chapel in Amsterdam from 10 September. His studio, an empty church that should remain untouched, is the starting point of the exhibition. Confrontation and intuition spur him to free himself from the limitation of the church and to reinvent himself as an artist. From his dogma – intuition, challenge and liberation – he brings his practice to a higher level.
The church as his canvas:
Early 2020, Kavelaars temporarily occupies a 900 m2 Catholic church in Amsterdam-Noord. For the artist, who is used to not limiting himself to the canvas, this workspace is both a blessing and a curse. The walls are invitingly white, a perfect blank canvas for his large-scale murals and paintings. Sparsely decorated as it may be, the church is a monument, which makes it forbidden for Kavelaars to make any alterations to the space. The impressive interior thus remains the same and the walls must remain untouched.
A new visual language:
The monumental church, presenting as many opportunities as it does limitations, may be one of the largest artistic challenges Kavelaars has faced. “This building symbolises a dogmatic way of thinking – despite the possibilities it presents me as an artist, it is a rigid place that hangs on to conventions. Within this limitation, my work shows that I am diametrically opposed to that. I show my dogma – intuition, challenge and liberation,” says Merijn Kavelaars. The church makes him rethink his art practice. Here he 'discovers' digital media, develops new ways of working, and starts a new chapter in his visual language.
Live painting:
Looking for a way to paint the church, Kavelaars turns to a digital approach. He decides to create stop-motion animations that are projected onto the walls and ornaments by creative studio Mr. Beam. Together they blend an analogue approach with new media without losing sight of the autonomous process. In dozens of shots, the artist captures the development of an artwork. The church is taken over by doodles that follow the architecture of the space. Kavelaars then makes room for his expressive, more autonomous work – he challenges his own figurative doodles with harsh black strokes of paint. He erases his doodled universe and replaces it with bold colours and elements that result in 12 entirely new works.
My Dogma in Art Chapel:
During the exhibition, the 12 works that are on show, were all assembled in the same way. Each of the works has been turned into a stop-motion animation and projected onto the church walls. The projections are documented in a video that is shown during the exhibition.
In order to follow the current rules regarding Covid-19, visitors are asked to sign up and reserve a timeslot via: www.kavelaars.com
MERIJN KAVELAARS – 'MY DOGMA', 10-13 September 2020. Afterwards, the exhibition will be available online.
Press presentation: 9 September 2020
Location: Art Chapel, Pr. Irenestraat 21, 1077 WT Amsterdam
Website: www.kavelaars.com
