cow 2011315 x 120 x 183 cmfiberglassall photos by gert jan van rooij / courtesy of grimm gallery and atelier van lieshout

 

 

atelier van lieshout: manufactuur & slavecitygrimm gallery, amsterdamnovember 30th to  january 26th, 2013

 

set over two sites, atelier van lieshout’s (AVL) double exhibition with grimm gallery brings forth the dutch artist’s latest installation ‘manufactuur’, in conjunction with his previous body of work ‘slavecity’.

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm gallerymanufactuur transforms the fran shalsstraat gallery with a wooden construction of a farmhouse

 

 

AVL’s ‘manufactuur’ takes over the frans halsstraat gallery, with a construction of wooden boards, transforming the white cube space to look and feel like the interior of a farm house. within, a mechanical work – a seventeen meter long saw mill powered by human muscle – stands as the centre piece, while sculptures from the studio’s ongoing series ‘new tribal labyrinth’ are displayed amongst it. through ‘manufactuur’, AVL explores notions of our complex society and the existence of over consumption and shortage of raw materials. in particular the ‘new tribal labyrinth suggests an alternative society where we return to simplicity and a self-sustaining way of life.

see designboom’s coverage of AVL’s ‘new tribal labyrinth’ here.

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm gallerya 17-metre long saw mill stands as the central focus of the ‘manufactuur’ installation

 

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm gallery

 

 

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm gallerythe ‘farmhouse’ is also filled with works from AVL’s ‘new tribal labyrinth’

 

 

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm gallerythe ‘manufactuur’ envisions a society which lives off the land and is self-sustaining

 

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm galleryla machine celibataire2012159 x 71 x 135 cmmetal, wood, rope

 

 

 

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm galleryinstallation view of ‘manufactuur’

 

 

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm galleryleft: wervel, 2012, 90 x 90 x 256 cm, fiberglassright: mondrian, 2012, 180 x 98 x 190 cm, steel

 

 

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm gallery‘slavecity’ at keizersgracht gallery

the keizergsgracht gallery space is devoted entirely to AVL’s utopian urban project ‘slave city’ (2005-2009). it brings forth themes related to ethics, nutrition, environmental, protection, organization, management and markets which are being questioned and re-interpreted. the sculptures which embody this work propose a city which is equipped with a highly modern infrastructure of universities, health centres, shopping malls, brothels, abattoirs, museums and other services. the downside is that all of the inhabitants of this imagined city are slaves of the system, that only serves to maximize its profits.

see designboom’s coverage of ‘slavecity’ here.

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm gallery‘slavecity’ proposes a complex system of structures and urban organization

 

 

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm gallery

 

 

 

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm gallery‘slavecity’ explores a universe composed of highly modern infrastructure

 

 

 

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm gallerygeneral installation view of ‘slavecity’

 

 

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm gallery

 

 

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm galleryhagioscoop, 201215 x 10 x 3.5 mfoam, fiberglass, sand, japanese rice paper

 

 

during amsterdam art weekend, as an additional, off-site component of ‘manufactuur’ and ‘slavecity’ AVL’s ‘hagioscoop’ takes over the museumplein. the large cross-shaped diorama is set in the imaginary date of ‘year zero’, housing people as well as livestock. it is the first farm in a series which will encompass a larger group of farmhouses that will function as labyrinths of time, covering ages, history, hope, family, utopia, self-sufficiency, design and deviancy.

 

 

AVL atelier van lieshout at grimm galleryhagioscoop, 201215 x 10 x 3.5 mfoam, fiberglass, sand, japanese rice paper