Bradwolff & Partners is delighted to present the exhibition 'Nature’s resonance'. Opening: 16 December 2023, 17:00 - 19:00 hrs. Introduction by Cees de Boer, publicist.
This exhibition marks the commencement of 'In Dialogue', a series of duo exhibitions that, over the coming year, will showcase inspiring interactions between pairs of artists whose artistic paths intersect and intensify in unexpected ways.
For this first encounter in the series, we proudly bring together herman de vries and melanie bonajo. While differing in terms of age and background, they find commonalities in their contemplation of the natural world and its traces throughout our culture. This shared wonder weaves a rich tapestry of insights, infused with the unique hues of their respective generation and individual artistry.
de vries exercises the eye to observe chance, order and diversity within nature, while bonajo uses the body to investigate how far our society has drifted from normal natural processes. The artistic convergence between de vries and bonajo creates a fertile ground where the viewer is invited to turn their gaze inwards, to gain a deeper understanding of our connection with the world around us.
herman de vries (Alkmaar, 1931) has spent over 60 years crafting a multifaceted oeuvre integrating art, science and philosophy. Trained as a biologist and naturalist, he focused on the processes and phenomena in nature from the outset of his artistic career. He does so with respect for nature’s beauty as well as its ephemerality. de vries represented the Netherlands at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015, and is known for his work that plays with concepts such as sequence and order, infinity and insignificance, as evidenced by titles such as ‘infinity in finity’ and ‘no thing’. His presentation in Venice ‘to be all ways to be’ highlighted these themes. de vries’s art has been exhibited in prominent institutions such as the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam and the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, and is included in museum collections worldwide.
melanie bonajo (they/them/theirs, Heerlen, 1978) is a multidisciplinary artist who explores themes of alienation and intimacy within our technology-driven society through film, performance and installation art. As a social activist and expert in life issues, they seek a deeper connection with society through natural processes, such as sexuality. bonajo was educated at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy and the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. They have exhibited at FOAM in Amsterdam, the Bonnefantenmuseum in Maastricht and FOMU in Antwerp (2023), and have furthermore represented the Netherlands at the Venice Biennale in 2022. Their work invites reflection on embodied experience and ecological issues, underpinned by a critical view of social structures.
Gallery open: Thursday - Saturday, 13:00 - 18:00 hrs, and by appointment. The gallery is closed from 24 December until 6 January 2024.