Great news!
My short TEOKORUS has made it in to round two of this years Aesthetica Short Film Festival!
TEOKORUS is a visual sound poem in which light and rhythm dance a duet on the rim of reality.
More updates on my projects and if TEOKORUS will make it to the final of ASFF will follow soon!
Winter along the Thames makes for intriguing portraits.
All photo’s by ©ANNE • 2014
Today I had an amazing film shoot with dancer and choreographer Jelena Bubon.
Photo’s by © ANNE• 2014
Click on the picture and behold Danstheater AYA‘s new 60 seconds trailer of Eerste Keer!
( Winner of the Marburger Kinder- und Jugendtheaterpreis 2014 )
photo by © 2013 Peter Jansen
Choreography: Wies Bloemen
Set and light design: Erik van Raalte
Costume: Anne Verheij
Music: Dennis van Tilburg
Life – laughing – numbers
Triggered from reading an article about Martin Creed in Aesthetica Magazine issue 57, I hastened myself to the Hayward Gallery in London.
Almost the whole gallery is dedicated to a diverse collection of the artists work. Every room, corner, level, wall and outdoors of the gallery is used to show the many No.’s that plunge you into a different dimension of reality, were everything is seriously humoristic and relative; it all depends how you look at it. The great amount of work creates a big collage that makes the building come alive giving it a heartbeat of movement.
Seducing all your senses even before you can give permission, brought on the pulsing allure of this exhibition that had a lot in common with that of an installation. Sounds make you aware that something is going on in a different place long before you reach it. Like in a big theme park I got really excited to try everything out, noticing impatience taking a hold of me.
My attention was firstly drawn by a clicking sound (Work No. 112: Thirty-nine metronomes beating time, one at every speed, 1995-98) before I could registrar what I was seeing. Searching for its source I encountered my sense of touch by almost wanting to duck out of the way of a big iron bar swooping over my head carrying the immense neon words MOTHER (Work No. 1092, 2011). While this installation was speeding up in its circular motion, I heard a very soft hint of tones climbing up a ladder. By entering the next space it became clear to me that this sound belonged to an actual piano and his player (Work No. 736: Piano accompaniment, 2007).
Knowing now where the sound had come from I lost interest in the actual work, which let me to wonder around in the space till I was watching a pile of arranged boxes (Work No. 916, 2008) when I caught a new sound. Something, that hold the middle between a fart and a sticking out of your tongue to your rivals sound, seemed to come out of all the artworks I laid my eyes on. Upon approaching the different artworks, however, I lost the sound connection, making me move on in the search of its origin. Ending up at a small sound speaker at the bottom of a staircase where I noticed out of the corner of my eye a change in light every other minute.
This switching light led me to enter the second level of the building where indeed the light was switchinh on and off (Work No. 227: The lights going on and off, 2000) to make place for short video clips (Work No. 670: Orson & Sparky, 2007) projected largely on one side of the space. On the other side of the space a sea of broccoli (Work No. 1000: Broccoli prints, 2009-10) engulfed the wall behind glass frames. I got fascinated by the way these frames picked up the switching light as well as the reflection of MOTHER. Her reflection revealed the secret behind her white neon light as with every rotation it showed her blue, green, yellow, pink and purple colours.
Moving up the stairs to the top level I started to see every part of the building as a possible participant of the exhibition. And not soon enough I was turning around when two works men entered the building carrying a bucket and gigantic pickaxe. Was this part of the exhibition or just a happy coincidence?
Turning another corner I encountered moving curtains (Work No. 990: A curtain opening and closing, 2009) that revealed the London skyline and made me go outside to get startled by a living car (Work No. 1686, 2013).
After having entered the exciting and calming balloon room (Work No. 200: Half the air in a given space, 1998) I went down the staircase where I halted at the toilet area because I heard some distinct sniggering, probably the most reassuring sound in a toilet block! Entering the small hall space in front of the toilets I discovered the source: another sound speaker protruded form the wall between the two entrance doors of the toilets.
Arriving at the exit I had a chance to leave all my shit behind by watching people puke and poop on screen (Work No. 503, 2006) in a line carpeted square room: Home.
You need to go and see this unique exhibition in the Hayward Gallery in London extended till the 5th of May!
What to choose first?
Other than loosing myself completely to my sensible reactions on the atmospheres presented, I noticed two distinct things.
One, I became very aware of my almost obsessive search for light sources. After a few minutes of entering the space I would get my camera out and start a slow dance with the space, completely loosing track of time and social appearances. Initially creating a very intimate and privately secluded macro space within the space presented.
Secondly, I started to notice how rushed the human race is. Taking time is not so much a luxury as it seems to be a dissatisfaction. When stepping into any of the spaces it is up to the spectator to sense through sound, smell, touch, sight, abilities that seem to be numbed for a lot of us. Frustration is overlooked as an sense, which makes us rush through the spaces, demanding to be entertained. All these expectations of myself and others left me strangely pleasantly irritated.
Time keeps fascinating. Dare and you might find yourself slap bang in the centre.
Go and sense!
Till the 6th of April 2014 @ Royal Academy of Art, London.
Photo’s by ANNE •
Please hold, you’ll be connected shortly ..
In this movie the images are telling the story with well-chosen cinematic atmospheres in clean cut frames, which leaves all the room for the spectator to use its own imagination. These images consist either out of close-ups of the actors, skylines or street views. Choosing this approach makes light the main actor that gives scenes intention, tension, juxtaposition, focus and gaze.
Her is composed in a clear colour scheme of soft pastels like grey, brown and blue, creating a base of the time frame in this movie. Fresher colours like green, yellow, orange, purple, blue and red are used as highlights. Together they seem to create a futuristic version of the sixties.
The light in Her starts of soft and even, giving its environment a gentle appearance that is quite monotone. As the main character Theodore falls in love the light becomes more intense in the form of overexposed frames, moments in which the spectator looks into the sun and encounters brighter light bulbs in the interior design and in the street. Closer to the end of the movie where Theodore is confused and in conflict with himself, the light gets darker and harsher, creating contrasts as shades, lines and blurred light sources.
Her is full of playful details such as the safety pin in Theodore’s blouse to keep the device at the correct height. Intonations of the voices are another well composed element. Where Theodore mumbles, Samantha (system voice) is hoarse. Their voices both narrate the movie and make the spectators of it fantasize how the unseen bits would look. The whole film is close to reality, but leaves you pleasantly wonder on how this new reality is constructed.
Get wooed!
On 13 February I went to see the play Blurred Lines by Carrie Cracknell in The Shed, London.
Damn it!
Three feet under in a matter of seconds. Simple words, clear set, everyday clothing costumes, harassing lights, catchy beats and I’m stuck. I can’t escape. In one way or another you’ll recognize the performed. Question: question femininity. How not to put words in anyone’s mouth, but still trying to say the thought out loud? Dare!
In a fluent rhythmic motion the roles of the characters were passed on between the actresses telling us many sides of this story, the story of value. It hurts to see how easily emotions are swept of the table as a non-valid argument, how women get to hear over and over “get a grip, don’t be so hormonal!” and how the little constant things make you confused and doubtful on what choice to make.
It must have been frustrating as a man to watch this piece because it seems that they are pointed out as the big disruptors in women’s life’s, but a few minutes into the play it becomes very clear that it is not pointing a finger at man: It is pointing to everyone who takes it upon themselves to disrespect another human being, male or female.
Mind you, it still wasn’t a joyful piece to watch since there are so many mistakes made out in the world and they chose to show us a lot of them, but it was clear from the start of the piece, even the flyer, that what you see is what you get. Just before the piece ended it threw in a nice twist in which the audience got totally confused whether the play had finished or not. To every painful side there was a humorous side, and it was this contrast of strengths that made you watch till the very end.
set photo by ANNE• Keep an eye out for this production and its creators!
The exposition Momentum is a must see!
This carefully choreographed sequence of light, sound and movement, which responds to the unique space of the Curve is both mesmerizing and unsettling.
Go see it @ Barbican The Curve in London between now and the first of June 2014.
Free entry!
Photo by ANNE•
ANNE • 