14 december 2023, Flor Linckens
Last chance: beyond classical categories in Galerie van Gelder
Until 6 January, Galerie van Gelder in Amsterdam is hosting a group exhibition that explores the realms of the objet trouvé and the ready-made, and the potential world that lies between. The curator has selected objects for this exhibition that seem to defy characterisation.
Gallerist Kees van Gelder: “In colloquial language, concepts such as objet trouvé and ready-made are often mixed up or even used haphazardly to describe an object that is supposedly placed in a visual art context as unchanged. As something that is just up for grabs and that is then conveniently called a found object or a ready-made.”
But what was the concrete difference between the two again? The distinction between objet trouvé and ready-made is subtle, yet significant. Both concepts involve existing objects within the context of art, but in different ways.
The concept of the ready-made is often associated with Marcel Duchamp, one of the pioneers of this art form. A ready-made is also an existing object, but it is selected by the artist and sometimes slightly modified or given a new title, thereby transforming it into a work of art. This often involves industrial or mass-produced items. The idea behind a ready-made is that the artist's selection and presentation transform the object into a work of art, emphasising the concept and choice of the artist, rather than craftsmanship or aesthetic qualities.
This notion results in an exciting exhibition where you, as a viewer, are invited to fully absorb the meaning of both concepts and the space in between — while contemplating the possible intentions of the artists. It influences your understanding of what art can be and the ways in which everyday objects can be transformed into works of art.
In this group exhibition at Galerie van Gelder, you can view works by leading artists including John M Armleder, Nicolas Chardon, Sylvie Fleury (who is set to present a solo exhibition at the Kunsthal in Rotterdam next year), Kimball Gunnar Holth, Klaas Kloosterboer, Christian Marclay and Olivier Mosset.
