The Measurement of Presence
Iris Kensmil
Remy Jungerman
The Measurement of Presence explores the intersecting paths of disparate cultural traditions and histories, bringing them in to contact with the present. Artists Remy Jungerman (b. 1959) and Iris Kensmil (b. 1970) combine the inspiration they draw from twentieth-century utopian abstract art– in particular Mondrian and De Stijl, the Russian avant-garde and stanley brouwn – with elements of other traditions and perspectives. The exhibition is curated by Benno Tempel (b. 1972).
Remy Jungerman is interested in the paths traveled by patterns. In his work he combines motifs from Africa, from Surinamese Maroon culture and from twentieth-century modernism to uncover their overlapping trajectories and how they tend to settle, take root and give birth to new stories. In his installations, these influences from different directions and times merge, revealing the condensation of time.
Iris Kensmil depicts in her work an inclusive history from a Black feminist perspective. She honours Black authors, philosophers, activists and musicians, and, in general, the Black counter-movement that is an undeniable part of modernity. She invites us to expand our consciousness on utopian twentieth century avant-garde and introduces us to Black female activists and artists who fought for their authenticity and recognition.
This sensitive and critical stance towards abstraction and modernism is what connects the work of Jungerman and Kensmil. Their quest to re-measure history, locality, and cross-cultural motifs reveals an alternative approach to locating the things that connect us.
