I'm at my wits end, PontArte. Photo: Marc Lorra.
Until 30 June, PontArte in Maastricht presents a remarkable project: an installation by Kate Studley in the gallery's basement. This installation has an intriguing secondary function as it has a healing effect for the gallery — in a literal sense of the word.
In September 2023, PontArte was hit by a flood, forcing the gallery to temporarily close its doors. This was an extremely difficult period, during which several works were also found to have been damaged. Recently, the British artist Kate Studley was commissioned to create a site-specific installation. The clay in "I'm at my wits end" absorbs the moisture in the space and gradually breaks it down over a period of two months.
Kate Studley, From the cradle to the grave, 2023, PontArte
This way, the walls of the basement are slowly dried, imbuing the artwork with a healing function. Studley created the work using local and regional clay, which she fired at varying temperatures. The gallery vividly described the installation on Instagram as “a laboratory for clay.” Visitors are invited to enter the basement space and interact with the work, allowing them to experience the processes of growth and decay up close. Additionally, the gallery also showcases several other works by the artist: various linen embroideries on paper and hemp paper.
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I'm at my wits end, PontArte
Studley studied Fine Arts at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, followed by a diploma in International Studies at the University of Zaragoza in Spain. The artist describes herself in her Instagram bio as a ‘natural materials artist,’ which is clearly reflected in her practice. Studley: “It is through site specific, textile and mixed media sculpture and installation that I hope to explore the capabilities of organic and biodegradable materials to express narratives between myself, humanity and our relationship to nature, time and place. Through ephemeral artworks I follow the patterns of growth and decay, considering art as a process rather than one fixed creation. Having been strongly influenced by an upbringing within family agriculture and rural communities in the UK.” This means that Studley has a keen eye for transformation, natural cycles of growth and decay, transience, natural landscapes and biodegradable materials.
The artist lives in Aachen, and her practice is characterised by collaborations that focus on connection and the blurring of (national) borders. In this installation, this is symbolised by the use of clay that is sourced from both Maastricht and the wider Euroregion. The installation was realised with financial support from the municipality of Maastricht.
