Biography
Rob Voerman is often inspired by modernist architecture and the utopian ideas about society on which they are based. Voerman’s works are defined by a dialogue between the forms of old archaic appearances of the farmers-life and the modern technically developed society. The works question the way in which societies function and might function in the future. Often it is possible for the viewer to interact with the works; they can enter it and sleep, work and drink inside the installations.
Rob Voerman lives in Arnhem. He studied at the CABK in Kampen (nowadays called ArtEZ Art & Design) and Vestlandets Kunstakademi, Bergen, Norway. In 2001 Voerman applied to join Worldviews, an artist in residence program in New York. The program used studios at the top of the World Trade Center towers, and was cancelled after the attacks of September 11th. In the following year Voerman made the work Worldviews which referred to 9/11 and the idea of this residency that never happened. In 2012 and 2013 Voerman worked at the ISCP in New York. Solo exhibitions include ‘The Fifth Season’ at Upstream Gallery (2014) ‘Tarnung. Biomorph Skulptures and Drawings’ at WeltkunstZimmer, Dusseldorf (2013), ‘Disturbia’ at CODA Museum, Apeldoorn (2012) and ‘Human Comfort’ at Cobra Museum, Amstelveen (2010). His works are represented in many private and public collections such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York, UCLA Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, Museum Valkhof, Nijmegen, Deutsche Bank, KKR Office collection, New York, Speyer Family Collection New York, Generali Foundation. In 2013 he was commissioned to make a large wall-piece for the entrance hall of the Dutch Ministery of Economy, the Hague.