26 november 2024, Wouter van den Eijkel
The studio of... Elsemarijn Bruys
Under the title Minimal Art on Acid, Elsemarijn Bruijs is presenting her first solo exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Schiedam. Anyone who has seen Bruijs’ installations will understand why the word ‘Acid’ was added. In the museum's attic, she experimented with the reflection of the beams by moving curved mirrors along a rail. The effect is trippy, but not what drives Bruijs. Her focus is on our perception of space and the world around us.
Her work has also been included in a group exhibition of female abstract artists. For Bruijs (b. 1992, Netherlands), both exhibitions are significant and defining moments. “I think I was still very much searching, and still am. It’s wonderful to be placed in the tradition of minimalists by curator Sanneke Huisman! It gives me a solid foundation for future work.”
We spoke with her as she was in the process of moving—from what she described as a shared storage space to a spacious studio of her own.
Minimal Art on Acid and Abstract Art by Women, Then and Now will be on display at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam until 2 March 2025.
Where is your studio and what does it look like?
I’m in the middle of moving actually. My old studio was a 200 m² space I shared with six others. It was in a fantastic building in Rotterdam called De Achtertuin. But unfortunately, I outgrew it—my work takes up a lot of space. There was hardly any room left to work among all the stored pieces. My new place is an old storage unit of 80 m². There’s a lot of work to be done, but I’m really looking forward to making it my own.
Elsemarijn Bruys, Champagne puff 5.0, 2023, Contour Gallery
For some artists, their studio is a sacred space where no one is allowed, while others consider it mainly a functional workspace. How do you see your studio?
I’ve noticed that I’m not particularly eager about studio visits. Giving someone a behind-the-scenes look can feel like ‘being exposed’. That’s partly because my previous studio was more or less a storage space and shared with others. Still, I do let people in occasionally and really enjoy working with others around me. I enjoy the background chatter, having lunch together, that kind of thing. Otherwise, it feels like I’m ‘performing’ my working life. Going to the studio alone, starting the day by myself, having lunch by myself… It’s just not my thing.
Material is very important to my work. I like to keep pieces on display for a while and experiment with them. In a nutshell, my studio is a hyper-functional space where I mostly research materials and execute projects.
If I were to intern with you, what would a typical workday look like?
Haha, there’s a reason I’ve never had interns! I’m very unstructured in how I work. Maybe it would help me focus and add some regularity if I had an intern. But everything depends entirely on the project I’m working on. For example, for my solo exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, I only did the sketching phase in my studio. Everything else was made on site or externally.
On the other hand, for the large inflatables, I work with a team of around five people in my studio. Those are structured, intense workdays from nine to five, with multiple teams and three sewing machines going at once.
Elsemarijn Bruys, Minimal art on acid, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, photo by Fred Ernst
Congratulations on Minimal Art on Acid at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam! This is your first solo museum presentation. How does it feel to suddenly be placed in the tradition of minimal art? Was that something you were already exploring or did it take you by surprise?
Thank you! It’s an honour! As a creator, it’s so important to be recognised by an institution and placed in a historical context. I think I was still very much searching, and still am. So, it’s wonderful to be positioned in the tradition of minimalists by curator Sanneke Huisman! It gives me a solid anchor for future work.
Your work is also included in a second exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Abstract Art by Women, Then and Now. Together with Machteld Rullens, you represent the youngest generation of female abstract artists. That seems like a huge compliment. Which of your work is featured and why was that particular piece chosen?
Yes, it’s definitely a compliment. The museum acquired one of my works and we immediately placed it in this exhibition. It’s called WARP and is a reflective kinetic piece. It distorts your reflection and the light from the surroundings around 14 times simultaneously.
Elsemarijn Bruys, WARP, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, photo by Fred Ernst
Everyone who has seen the installation Minimal Art on Acid understands why the exhibition has been given that title. How did the idea for the moving mirrors come about?
I’ve been working for some time with the movement and bending of mirrors in order to influence reflections. Through this work, I hope people can look at their surroundings—and maybe even themselves—in a different way. Room 11 in the museum is a long, narrow space, around 20 meters deep. I incorporated that depth into the installation.
You graduated in 2013 from HKU in Fashion Design. That seems quite a far cry from the immersive installation currently on display in Schiedam. Can you briefly explain how you went from a graduation project about plastic soup to an installation with moving mirrors?
Yes, that’s true. I think, deep down, I always knew I wanted to evolve towards installation art. It just took me some time to admit it to myself. Even back then, I had the desire to make a statement about the world, something that was heavily encouraged at the academy. I think I’m still very attuned to trends and tendencies, which I find endlessly fascinating. My work has evolved into abstraction and at this point in time, literal reflection.
Elsemarijn Bruys, MORPH, 2024, Unfair Amsterdam
Now that you’ve had your first solo museum exhibition, you’re probably eager for more. Are there any projects you’d like to accomplish in the next five to ten years? Or are there specific spaces where you’d love to create an installation?
Yes, absolutely! I think the Palais de Tokyo is absolutely stunning—that would be a dream. But I’m open to anything. I love responding to what’s already there, as I did in Schiedam. That makes every space interesting.
What are you currently working on?
In early December, I’ll be heading to the Scope Art Show during Art Basel with the Heejsteck Gallery. I’m really looking forward to it!
Elsemarijn Bruys, static warp Orange, 2024, Contour Gallery
