Emily Sack reviews Marcel van Eeden at Sprüth Magers gallery
05/07/2011
Marcel van Eeden | Untitled (2011)
Re-thinking notions of authority and authenticity, Marcel van Eeden : November 22, 1948 at Sprüth Magers (gallery) London
Review by Emily Sack for Aesthetica Magazine Blog
Paper and pencil are typically supplies associated with schoolwork like arithmetic or a preliminary phase of an artistic work; however, Dutch artist, Marcel van Eeden utilizes the ordinary pencil on sketchbook quality paper to create the pieces in the current exhibition November 22, 1948.
Now in the year 2011, 1948 seems awfully long ago, 62 (almost 63) years ago to be precise. The artist's birth falls exactly 17 years after the date named in the title, meaning that van Eeden clearly has no personal memories of the chosen day, enjoying a voyeuristic perspective on the historically imagined events as they unfold.
Each of the dozens of work on display was produced in 2011 and bear the title Untitled. The first room contains several excerpts from the series entitled November 22, 1948 that chronicle the adventures of three of van Eeden’s predominant characters in three diverse locations. The series begins in Zurich, travelling next to Seychelles and lastly to London. As the viewer attempts to understand the unfolding narratives, they move from wall to wall of the gallery space. Significantly, in the middle of the London narrative, the wall ends but instead of simply turning a corner, the viewer must pass by a window with vistas of Piccadilly before resuming the narrative on the centre wall. This break from the fictional event from the past to gaze upon the same location in reality, in the present comes as a shock and temporarily disorients the viewer who previously... [read the full article on the Aesthetica Magazine Blog].
Image: Untitled (2011), Marcel van Eeden
November 22, 1948 continues at Sprüth Magers London until 13 August 2011.
Emily Sack is a candidate for the MA in Art History at Richmond The American International University in London.
Aesthetica engages with contemporary art, contextualising it within the larger cultural framework. For further information, please visit the Aesthetica Magazine website.
Link to this page: http://www.richmond.ac.uk/n/1167.aspx
