from 07/02 to 22/03/2015
Gleichapel presents “Do & Hope“, a new project by Peruvian artist, Pier Stockholm, who aspires to merge his studio environment with Gleichapel’s 9m2 white cube space, viewable from a single window on the street in the upper Marais neighbourhood of Paris.
Stockholm recently published his first artist book with Onestar Press (Paris) entitled The Weight of References (2014). He exhibits internationally in Latin America, The United States and Europe. His works have been featured in art institutions such as De Vleeshal, Middelburg; Casino, Luxembourg and Espace Paul Ricard, Paris.
The following is an excerpt from Snippets, an interview that took place at Gleichapel during the installation of Do & Hope with Dutch curator and critic, Nanda Janssen, who is currently on residency in Paris supported by the Mondriaan Fund.
Studio
In the past few years my studio has entered my art practice. It deals with my tools and materials as well as the way they are organised. Let’s call it choreography. In the studio everything has a function and is there for a reason. Recently a friend called my studio my best piece. In a white cube, different rules and a different choreography apply. I’ve tried to blend my studio space with the Gleichapel space, for example, adding more light by including my own fluorescent lights from the studio.
Tools
Since childhood, I have loved tools and from the start I’ve used all sorts of office equipment like a pair of compasses, a perforator, rulers, pins, elastic bands, Dymo tags and spirit levels. At some point the tools started to enter my work, whereby it was more interesting before the finished stage: the moment when the tools’ interaction was still at play. I’ve now reached the phase where the tools have become a key element. Not only do they help to construct the work, they have become my material as well. The range of tools has widened. I’m not solely using office equipment anymore. I’ve started to use straps, plastic ties, electric cable, rope and even my very own cutting table. These tools are not included for show, they always have served a function. So, slowly the office aesthetic is making way for another aesthetic.
Rules
About ten years ago a friend and I agreed to do a show on a squash court and to play squash in the gallery. Although the plan hasn’t been executed yet, it reflects my attraction to rules. The lines in a squash court communicate the rules and deliver a beautiful intricate pattern! Rules are like deadlines and too much freedom is a burden. My work often starts with a rule that I set myself or by drawing a geometric diagram, a colour chart or another existing system. Working on them, I allow unexpected things to happen. That’s what it is all about. Tools and rules!
Professional images and further information upon request.
Do & Hope is on view through 22 march, 2015 from noon to midnight daily at Gleichapel, 15 rue Debelleyme in the Upper Marais.