20 march 2023, Wouter van den Eijkel
The studio of... Jef Meyer
Jef Meyer's work can currently be seen in two places in Antwerp at the same time. In addition to a duo exhibition at gallery Zeit, his solo show Galvanic Nightfall can now be seen at PONTI. Ever since his graduation, Meyer's work has attracted a great deal of attention. Not least because Meyer prefers to work with concrete. An unusual material in which Meyer can perfectly express his minimalist visual language. Galvanic Nightfall can be seen at PONTI until April 1 and on March 24 there will be a 'soft opening' with a performance by Floris Van Hoof. I wouldn't bet on it at gallery Zeit can also be seen until April 1.
Where is your studio located?
My studio is on the old slaughterhouse site of Antwerp North. The great thing about this working-class neighborhood is that you can still find many small independent businesses where I can go for the materials I use in my practice.
My studio is located in an old rubber trade that I am currently converting into a fully-fledged studio and exhibition space. I do this entirely within my own visual language with many concrete elements.
Jef Meyer, Untitled #6, 2023, ZEIT
Is it a place where you prefer to be all alone or do you like having people around?
I used to see the studio as a place where I was only busy with my practice, but recently I like to invite other artists. For example, Sharon Van Overmeiren regularly works in my studio. I notice that I enjoy exchanging ideas and experiencing the creation process together. Of course it is also a place where friends or interested people visit and I also like to exchange ideas about my work with my gallerists.
You prefer to work with concrete, does it also mean that there are one or more large concrete mixers in your studio or do you prefer mixing it by hand?
I have a large concrete mixer that I rather use for installations or construction projects (the Blikfabriek) but in the studio I mainly work with hand mixers or trowels because I can control the creation process more.
How did you end up with concrete and what particularly appealed to you about this material?
I have always had an eye for architecture with a fascination for brutalism, in which concrete is of course prominent. That is why I also quickly came to this material with my artistic practice.
One would think: concrete is concrete, and that’s that. Yet, this material is much more versatile than that. How did you find out and what was the biggest surprise in that respect?
By experimenting a lot with moulds, drying processes and post-processing, I got to know the versatility of the concrete. Much is craftsmanship, and yet chance also plays a major role. I like to make people doubt the materiality of my work: is it made with concrete, leather or marble? I want to portray the roughness of the concrete in a painterly way. Letting the brutal pass over into sensitivity and vice versa.
You currently have two shows in Antwerp, one at PONTI and one at Zeit. Is there an overlap between the two expos or are they completely different?
The exhibit at PONTI is a solo exhibition, Galvanic Nightfall. I show works that have been made during the last months and I therefore fully support these new works artistically. They are rather dark in colour and as a viewee you must look closely to experience all colour nuances. The change in your position as a spectator also brings the work to life. The viewer activates my works, as it were. At Zeit, I show work in dialogue with other artists. For example, Zeit shows abstract work by Pol Mara with which I feel an affinity.
Your work is in line with the minimalist tradition. Who are (or have been) your examples?
stanley brouwn, Jef Verheyen, Paul Van Hoeydonck, Anish Kapoor, Erwin Wurm, Jeff Koons, Richard Serra and Guy Vandenbranden are personal favourites that have led me to my own form language. I have exhibited alongside many of them at Callewaert Vanlangendonck and am proud that I can continue to build on their work with our time and resources.
Jef Meyer, Untitled, 2023, PONTI
Besides concrete, is there another material you would like to work with someday?
I also make blind impressions and I consider these works on paper to be full-fledged works next to my works in concrete. I see them as ready mades. Furthermore, I certainly do not want to limit myself to one medium and I am curious about what else I will be inspired by.
What is the biggest misconception about your work among people seeing it for the first time?
That there would be little opportunity to evolve in my choice of materials. I keep experimenting and feel that I am becoming ever more mature in my practice.
What are you currently working on?
In recent months I have been very busy with my expo at PONTI and Zeit, so at the moment I am mainly enjoying the two current exhibitions and I am taking some time to recharge my batteries and renovate my studio and then get back to work. In the future, I also want to focus more on sculpture in order to integrate it in construction projects and therefore also in public space.
