27 july 2023, Flor Linckens
The mysterious investigation of Institute 54
Until 20 August, Shoobil in Antwerp offers an exhibition by Institute 54, a collaboration between artist Heinrich Nicolaus and interior designer Karin Draaijer. The duo, who are a couple in real life, creates an immersive environment in the gallery in which it is not always clear where the work of one transitions into the work of the other. Their artistic vision is clearly set out on the one hand — for instance in the form of principles and a manifesto on their website — and at the same time it has an air of mystery.
When you enter the gallery, you are almost overwhelmed by the large amount of information that comes at you. Although part of the gallery is executed in black and white, it overpowers you completely. Words are interspersed with symbols, photos and clippings; even the supporting beams are covered in text and images. Phrases like 'me and my monkey have nothing to hide', 'soul is not existing' and 'world psycho challenge' raise more questions than they answer. But at the same time, the information is also presented systematically, in orderly lists and in system drawings that resemble machines. It also resembles the wall of a detective who is on the trail of his perpetrator. What becomes particularly clear is that you are looking at an ongoing investigation, and how remarkable it is that you, as a viewer, can become part of that for a while. The duo does not present a predetermined 'truth', but rather invites the viewer to challenge their own perception.
Chat I54, Shoobil
If you walk further into the gallery, you will see artworks that are presented in a seemingly more conventional way, on the wall, or standing on the floor. Here too, you read texts whose meanings does not immediately seem clear, combined with system drawings and actual imaginary machines. Small yet decisive details such as a silver party curtain determine how you experience the space. The first principle of Institute 54 is 'A successful work of art changes the viewer and the artists'. That certainly seems to have worked.
Art, design and philosophy are central to the vision of Institute 54, which was founded in 2017 by Draaijer and Nicolaus. Texts by Karl Marx and Sol LeWitt, among others, also served as inspiration and a special role has been reserved for magic. Incidentally, the name of the collective refers to the 54 cities on the island of Utopia, that features in Thomas More's famous book of the same name from 1516.
Chat I54, Shoobil
The practice of German artist Heinrich Nicolaus is multifaceted and includes painting, sculpture, prints and video. Research is always central to that. His layered work has neo-Dadaist influences and has been included in the collections of the Uffizi in Florence, the Albertina Museum in Vienna, The Chase Manhattan Collection in New York, the Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires and the collections of Mercedes Benz and Fendi. In 2018, REMODELISTA named Karin Draaijer as one of the 10 best Belgian architects and interior designers of that moment.
Tip: Got curious? The gallery is organising a special artist talk with Nicolaus and Draaijer on Sunday 13 August, with Rudi Salomon as a guest.
