World images and identities
How do we view the world around us? Artists excel at providing unexpected answers to this question. Our vision of the world is naturally formed by where and when we live, but it is also influenced by coincidence, an unexpected event and developments that sometimes continue for centuries. This means that the question ‘What do we see exactly?’ is perhaps even more interesting. Artists from the Rabo Art Collection reflect on these questions through their work.
Meschac Gaba, who was born and raised in Benin, has been working in the Netherlands since 1996. Through his work he takes an in-depth look at concepts including visual arts, economics and politics in both Europe and Africa. His work Peacemaker appeals for attention to the stratified world order in a light-hearted way.
Jasper de Beijer studies the significance of terms such as colonialism in an almost cartoon-style manner. Aernout Mik also makes films and installations on critical topics including the migration and border issues that face countries such as Mexico. But artists equally find diverse forms of identity closer to home. Carel Visser, for instance, uses a basic visual language to portray the family as the core element that serves as the basis for human development.
Ger van Elk reflects on this era in our region of the world and studies the phenomena of both religion and power through photography and painting. The history of art itself also influences the portrayal of, for example, the landscape by artists such as Hans Broek and JCJ Vanderheyden. The common thread that connects all of these angles, media and views is the amazement and attention with which both the major issues and the minor aspects of everyday life are explored.
