December is traditionally a time for reflection and looking forward. As the final days of the year tick away, Lumen Travo Gallery in Amsterdam is presenting the exhibition 'What to Expect: Our Glimpse into 2024'. Until 12 January 2024, you can view the work of four artists associated with the gallery, who will be showcasing their work next year: Matea Bakula, Thierry Oussou, Daniel de Paula, and Judith Westerveld. Each of these artists, coming from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, stretches the boundaries of contemporary art in their own unique way.
Daniel de Paula creates sculptures and installations that provoke thought about geographical space as a place marked by power dynamics — shaped by political, social, economic, bureaucratic and historical structures. The boundaries between art, architecture and geography blur in the practice of this Brazilian conceptual artist, as he seeks the hidden stories behind objects and (global) infrastructures. At the same time, he is interested in the materiality of these objects. For example, in Lumen Travo Gallery, he exhibits parts of underground or submarine data cables, which form an essential foundation for the ways in which we share information on a global scale, as well as for instance our financial transactions. In earlier work, De Paula exposed deeply rooted corruption in Brazilian construction companies. His work has previously been showcased at the 34th São Paulo Biennial and in White Cube São Paulo.
Thierry Oussou, who was recently awarded the (Dutch) Royal Award for Modern Painting, was born in Benin in West Africa, a place that frequently appears in his artworks. After a residency at the Rijksakademie, he chose Amsterdam as his home base. Oussou often describes his artistic approach as 'social archaeology', in which he explores the connection between ethnographic objects and contemporary art. Oussou creates expressive works on a large scale and black paper, drawing inspiration from the people around him: their motivations, relationships, and interactions. His practice is characterised by in-depth research into subjects such as history, heritage, power, social dynamics, and visibility. Oussou has a special interest in often-overlooked professions, such as cotton workers (the 'white gold' of the world economy) and bus drivers, highlighting how their working conditions affect society. His work has previously been shown at the São Paulo Biennial and the Venice Biennale di Architettura. Until 14 January 2024, one of his installations is displayed at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht.