Spring Musings & Muddy Feet
Galerie SANAA 25 March – 6 May 2023
Curated by Jessica Skowroneck in collaboration with Galerie SANAA (for enquiries about the work contact [email protected])
Participating artists: Sanne Bax, Bart Kok, Donglai Meng, Jessica Skowroneck, Sabina Timmermans, Jeanine Vloemans
About the exhibition
In winter we like to stay inside and tell stories about events past, but spring invites us to go outside and reconnect with the land. Its stories are wilder, more immediate: they tell us of desire and fertility, of growth and the origins of life. From the primordial soup, new living beings sprout once again.
Spring is a playful and promising time, full of love, lust, and the awakening of nature. At first glance it might look somewhat hedonistic, an invitation to enjoy only the easy pleasures of life. But when we take a closer look, many mysteries surface in the wake of these topics: where does new life come from? What is our drive to procreate? And inevitably: what is the meaning of it all? Just as plants have their roots hidden underground – the energy source of their new foliage hidden from view – all life has an unknown source that we cannot comprehend. And, as a shadow of new life, also comes death; for life cannot exist without death as its counterpart.
In this exhibition we want to celebrate the abundance of life and simultaneously contemplate the deeper questions that being in this world brings with it. We do this in an inherently visual way: expressive brushwork, whimsical colors, scenes of lush vegetation, and landscapes rich with promise. Murals and sculptures transform the gallery into a space to take a walk in. Subtle scenes of friendship and love are shown alongside expressions of power and energy. We invite you to join us – with our head in the clouds and our feet in the mud – on a joyful journey to warmer weather and spring adventures.