Bodied by Nieke Koek
On October 25, we visited the exhibition Bodied by Nieke Koek in museum De Fundatie. In this exhibition she mainly focussed on the body. “Nieke Koek (Roelofarendsveen, 1982) has a lifelong fascination with the (im)ability of the human body. Her works are poetic translations of the body, and she elevates everyday, bodily matters to art. Like a well-trained actor, she analyzes and internalizes her body and that of others, in order to make viewers aware of their own bodies as well.” (museumdefundatie.nl). Nieke was also present during the exhibition and talked to us about the relationship between body, mind and space.
Water Damage
“In a performance lasting 12 minutes Nieke Koek shows a single sneeze in slow motion. Emulating this powerful convulsion so slowly makes a dramatic piece of theatre out of something that normally happens too quickly to watch. During the performance, Koek wears a dress made of paper tissues.”
Step
“Nieke Koek wondered what it is like to be a foot. To find out, she designed a shoe with four cameras - one facing forward, one facing up and two facing to the sides. She put it on and went out walking and cycling. This produced some unusual footage, which makes the audience aware of what it is like to be a foot.”
Drift
“In Drift, different moving strips slide from left to right. The movements are programmed in such a way that compositions are created, that together tell an abstract story. Nieke Koek investigates whether it is possible to find characteristic expression in a machine and thus appeal to the empathy of the viewer.”
