Val Wecerka eries agazine Contemporary Art Peripheral 201 SPECIAL ISSUE Both our minds and our bodies need to actively participate in the experience of contemplating a piece of art: it demands your total attention and a particular kind of effort—it’s almost a commitment. What do you think about the role of the viewer? Are you particularly interested if you try to achieve to trigger the viewers' perception as starting point to urge them to elaborate personal interpretations? Over these years your works have been showcased in several occasions, including your recent participation to Unter 1000, at Galerie Schloss Parz, Grieskirchen, in Vienna. One of the hallmarks of your practice is the capability to create direct involvement with the viewers, who are urged to evolve from a condition of mere spectatorship. So before leaving this conversation we would like to pose a question about the nature of the relationship of your art with your audience. Do you consider the issue of audience reception as being a crucial component of your decisionmaking process, in terms of what type of language is used in a particular context? I am sure that 99% of all artists would agree that explaining their art is not an easy task and of course when I am creating art a lot of emotion, memories and feelings are involved in this process. I think it is impossible to evoke exactly these emotions to the audience. There exists a theory in literature that a text is not fully written unless the reader has read it. It`s the same with the artworks and so the relationship between an artist, his artworks and the audience is tremendous important. Thanks a lot for your time and for sharing your thoughts, Val. Finally, would you like to tell us readers something about your future projects? How do you see your work evolving? A few days ago I returned from the Biennale in Venice where a Gallery showed some of my artworks. It was very exiting. A lot of new impressions and I am looking forward to start with some new projects. An interview by Dario Rutigliano, curator and Melissa C. Hilborn, curator [email protected]
Monique Rutten That is the iconography I use in my work as well, as long as it strengthens the work in its deeper meaning. This is however not an imposed meaning, but an interpretation of expression and thus subjective. Sometimes it is easy to recognize the symbol, it is meant to streghten the image. Some examples of this which you can see in my painting are the deer and the antlers of the deer. For me this is a connection with the higher, the spiritual. But nothing is exclusively holy, the antlers grow out of control and are also controlled by a darker side. You see a devilish figure in the back who doesn’t only show lovely virgin imagine. The boys of the seminars are in a costume, a straight-jacket for twelve year old boys. Are they being told that the woman is a prostitute or a holy angel? They were given a specific picture and they grow up in a strange world without woman. The truth is some of these many young boys were sexually harassed by the catholic church as well. The other painting: You must listen to the leader, or the Dutch childrens song ‘’1, 2, step in size’’ is inspired by the fanfare in my own youth. It tells a story of fitting in with a silent protest. The painting: Children play everywhere, is meant a bit ironically. The danger sign in the background shows how double the work is. Tentoonstelling Strijp S, april 2013