Jeroen Jongeleen’s (1967) work almost always originates in public spaces, where he leaves traces that he documents. Through his interventions, he encourages the free use of public space, driven by his belief that freedom of expression and movement lie at the heart of a truly democratic society.
In his series Running in Circles, Jongeleen runs extreme distances in a circular path, gradually wearing down the ground beneath him. These physical and meditative actions are captured with a drone, resulting in serene images of a solitary performance. A performance by the artist who is trapped, stuck in a temporary hamster wheel of his own making. The effort of creating something through a basic gesture and concentration. There is not much room for distraction while running a 20-meter circle for some hours. The locations where he runs play a crucial role: they are often “guilty landscapes” or sites imbued with layered meanings.
The video Nauze (2022) was made during a residency at La Dédale in Belvès in France. The interruptive stream that creates two fields, through which the artist runs his circle, is called Nauze. Nauze is the French word for nausea. Nausea can be a motivation to escape, but in this case, also a possible result. The soundtrack, which includes the sound of frogs and the babbling stream, gives the impression that the act is purely fun and innocent.