12 november 2024, Flor Linckens
Ingrid Simons: the soul of the landscape in paint
Until 21 December, Livingstone Gallery in The Hague presents the solo exhibition ‘Winter Solstice’ by Ingrid Simons, an artist known for her poetic exploration of landscapes. The title of the exhibition refers to the shortest day of the year, a symbolic moment of stillness and reflection, perfectly suited to the restrained atmosphere of her work, in which she explores subtle nuances of light, darkness and the transitions between them. The exhibition serves as a continuation of her previous solo museum exhibition, ‘Midzomernacht’ (Midsummer Night) at Museum Nairac (2023-2024). While ‘Midzomernacht’ celebrated the longest day of the year, ‘Winter Solstice’ captures the turning point from light to darkness, reflecting Simons’ interest in the cyclical nature of time.
The works on display range in levels of abstraction: some of these sublime landscapes mirror winter scenes, while others merely echo the colours and emotions of a similar landscape. The artist told the Steendrukmuseum: “I create a painterly illusion of a landscape; unreal landscapes of the soul and memory.” Elements like trees, paths and skies are sometimes discernible but are reimagined to merge into a unique world, as though one is viewing a memory of a landscape. Through this approach, Simons offers viewers an intensely personal depiction of nature, not based on any specific landscape. She aims to deconstruct and dismantle the concept of landscape itself, making space for a new reality. Her work calls for renewed awareness of the relationship between humanity and nature, inviting viewers to reflect on their own place within this larger whole.
Simons is a multidisciplinary artist who primarily works with oil on linen but extends her practice into ceramics, performance, short film, and more recently, works on paper. Her artistic practice is deeply rooted in her physical and emotional experiences with nature, and her work is heavily influenced by creative residencies in Norway, Portugal and (at Livingstone Projects in) Berlin. Alongside paintings, this exhibition also includes ceramic pieces. Her interest in ceramics began during her residencies in Portugal, where she collaborated with local masters and learned traditional techniques. She also draws inspiration from shinrin-yoku, or ‘forest bathing,’ a Japanese practice of immersion in the stillness and magic of the forest.
The artist considers painting to be a highly physical and intuitive process, resulting in what she describes as ‘expressive spaces.’ She applies thick layers of paint with various textures to the canvas, often working wet-on-wet. Through her process of building and breaking down structures on the canvas, she seeks to deconstruct and reimagine, striving for balance. This approach reflects her ongoing exploration of the essence of a landscape.
Ingrid Simons was born in Eindhoven in 1976 and graduated from the Academy of Art and Design in 's-Hertogenbosch in 1999. Her work is held in the collections of Museum Bommel van Dam, LUMC and Achmea, and has been exhibited at Kunstmuseum Den Haag, the Noordbrabants Museum, Museum Van GoghHuis, Palacio Dom Manuel in Evora, Museum Belvédère, the Art Museum of Nanjing, Kunsthal KAdE, the Bonnefantenmuseum, Museum De Fundatie, the Van Abbemuseum and Museum De Pont. She was nominated for the Royal Award for Modern Painting in both 2005 and 2008.
