venice architectural biennale 08: madelon vriesendorp

‘object archive’ by madelon vriesendorp (1972) image © designboom

‘playground surrealism’ a paintings and object archive of pieces from 1967 – 2008.

dutch-born, london-based artist madelon vriesendorp is the wife of rem koolhaas,

together with elia and zoe zenghelis she co-founded OMA, the office for metropolitan architecture.

during this time she created a series of anthropomorphic paintings, which have until now been marked by secrecy.

‘playground surrealism’ is the first showing of the dark, subversive body of work which is presented chronologically

up to the present day work she produces. of her newer work is a commissioned piece entitled ‘superpainting’:

a self-portrait of an artist’s life told through objects. it is an homage to the italian radicals architects superstudio.

her earliest watercolors on display are fairy-tale fables filled with threatening, transgressive sexuality.

in the center of the room is exhibited ‘object archive’. it is a meticulously ordered metropolis of souvenirs,

scale-models, wind-up toys, and kitschy figurines. an animated film is shown which has been unseen for nearly

thirty years. cast as an outsider, vriesendorp’s playground has emerged from the archives and has come out to play.

image © designboom

the playful figurines are arranged in a way that references manhattan’s grid-like city blocks image © designboom

the skyline of objects includes the statue of liberty and double-decker buses image © designboom

‘superpainting’ by madelon vriesendorp (2008)

‘self immolation’ by madelon vriesendorp (1975)

‘ecstasy of mrs. caligari’ by madelon vriesendorp (1973)

more madelon vriesendorp: http://www.madelonvriesendorp.com venice architecture biennale: http://www.labiennale.org