25 april 2023, Wouter van den Eijkel
The studio of... Quinda Verheul
Ever heard of sand scarcity? Quinda Verheul has. The Rotterdam artist has a keen eye for places, situations and themes that do not appear on everyone's radar. For her second solo show Never Lost she was inspired by the early 19th century German traveller, scientist and philosopher Alexander von Humboldt. She recognized a lot in his observations, especially his holistic view of nature. For Never Lost, Verheul developed a new technique and a different, mysterious aesthetic. Her new work gives you the idea that you are in a strange landscape. She herself is not yet sure how the new ideas and visual language intertwine: “I often don't understand what I made until a year later, and I always find that very surprising.” Never Lost opens this Saturday and can be seen at Root Gallery in Rotterdam until June 24.
Where is your studio?
Everywhere. At home, on my bike, in the car and when travelling. By that I mean that new work originates everywhere and all the time. It cannot be limited to a specific space or time. But the physical location is in Rotterdam North in the Hofbogen, a national monument that previously served as a viaduct for a railway line that crossed the city. Under the tracks are all kinds of spaces, including my studio at Insulindestraat 22-24, with large windows that let in lots of daylight.
Never Lost, Quinda Verheul, photo by Thoya Verheul
In addition to smaller sculptures, you also make life-sized installations. Is height a requirement when it comes to a studio?
My goal was not to feel limited by space and by allowing myself that space, to create possibilities to achieve my dream. I was looking for a space on the ground floor, with truck access and a wide entrance to allow pallets and larger sculptures to be brought in and out. Good light and height were essential. I’m now dreaming of an even bigger space, a place where I can work on several installations at the same time and with plenty of storage space. Perhaps breathing space is a requirement for a good studio space, a place where both I and my work can breathe during the creative process.
Never Lost is your second solo exhibition at Root Gallery. The gallery is beautiful and large with high ceilings. Did you adapt the size of your work to it or were you already planning to make larger works?
For The Sound of Silence, my first exhibition at Root Gallery in December 2021, I was looking for synergy between the work and the space. In addition to bundling ideas and developing them into a form, the presentation is essential for conveying the story or concept to viewers. The work interacts with the space and the viewer. So its exact dimensions are important for the overall experience.
Never Lost is about landscapes you can’t actually visit, but only fantasise about. How did you come up with this idea?
In my work, I often address the invisible, the places and situations that elude us. My first pieces are about the open-pit mining industry, large craters dug by people in caterpillars. I am fascinated by both the aesthetics and violence with which we humans appropriate nature. For the installation The Sound of Silence 2021, I was intrigued by the global sand shortage. Most people are not aware of this and I bring it to your attention through my work. Over the past year, a fascination has developed for human greed about the universe and more specifically, gold. This leaves a lot to the imagination and is reflected in my latest works. Yet, I also think that there are references in previous works that can found in this exhibition, like a story that is never finished.
Quinda Verheul, Never Lost I, 2022, Root Gallery
I read that you were inspired by the German scientist Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859). Which idea of his appealed to you and why?
I immediately fell in love with his work when I first saw Kosmos, the atlas that Humboldt developed in which all plates are coloured by hand. The details of the plates gave me goose bumps and were very special for that time. His life's work is admirable. Most importantly, though, I recognised a lot in his observations as a geologist and traveller and his holistic view of nature. Sometimes themes like landscapes, mines, sand scarcity and the universe as a whole felt rather immense and all-encompassing. Who am I to want to tie everything together? Influences range from Zen Buddhism to scientific research and current events. When reading his biography and after studying his atlas, everything fell into place. I wasn't looking for confirmation, but it was suddenly there.
Can you explain how you translated these ideas into your work?
This year, through experimentation, a new technique emerged that really appealed to me. Quite a different aesthetic than before, something mysterious and like being in a landscape. Forms and ideas arise side by side and intersect each other. Often, I don't understand what I have actually made until a year later. I always find that very surprising. As if your subconscious is ahead of you.
Never Lost, Quinda Verheul, photo by Thoya Verheul
Is that a typical approach for you? Getting inspired by something or someone, researching the ideas behind it and then incorporating them in your work?
The ideas I an working with now started to take shape during my studies at the Design Academy in Eindhoven in 2014. It is a story that is never finished and continues to evolve. It is fascinating to discover common ground in other people's work. It would be ludicrous to assume that all my ideas are unique. I have images in my head and along the way I read, see and observe and these things feed each other. Along the way, I get started with the creation process. In the end, it is a large mix of thoughts that form a work. I can't always describe my work very well because it is shaped by the journey leading to it, while at the same time showing the untrodden paths.
I read that you experimented extensively with new materials for this show. Which materials exactly?
Until now, I have always worked with mirrors, stone, sand and concrete. At this exhibition, there are no mirrors. The colours are almost black and most of the sculptures are made of velvet. For a long time, I wanted to further explore sculptures, making three-dimensional shapes, and for this exhibition, I found a great technique that fits well with my aesthetic. The hairs catch the light and the colours incorporated in them become visible.
Quinda Verheul, Never Lost II, 2022, Root Gallery
When I ask artists which project they still want to create, most people say ‘a large installation’. You have already done that. What's on your wish list?
Good question! It is never quiet in my head and there are always ideas ready to be developed. My biggest dream is to buy an open-pit mine and create a site-specific work there. I got that idea from James Turrell's work Roden Crater.
What are you currently working on?
At the moment, I am busy working on the upcoming solo show at Root Gallery and preparations for upcoming art fairs and presentations. There are still lots of possibilities I want to explore further, such as the technique I developed this year and which can be seen at this exhibition. This involves the further development of sculptures into outdoor sculptures that are suitable for public spaces as well as private and corporate collections.
Quinda Verheul, Glow X, 2023, Root Gallery
