Oude Kerk Amsterdam is proud to present Into the Air, the new publication about Marinus Boezem's work in the Oude Kerk. The publication is named after the installation Boezem developed specifically for the Oude Kerk in 2016. Following the publication, two works by Marinus Boezem are on display in the Oude Kerk. The embroidered cloth Gothic Gestures (2017) and the video work A Volo d’Uccello (2010) can be seen in the Saint Sebastian Chapel until 11 August.

into the air

We stay in touch with many of our artists after their exhibitions in the Oude Kerk. This is also the case with Marinus Boezem, who developed new work for the Oude Kerk in 2016. The new publication Into the Air, named after this installation, will be available in the museum shop from July 12. In the publication, Boezem’s fascination for church architecture and his various works on the desire of man to rise above the void of existence are extensively discussed in word and image. The authors are: Germano Celant, Nathalie Zonnenberg, Lorenzo Benedetti, Jacqueline Grandjean and Lorenzo Bruni.

gothic gestures and a volo d’uccello

Following the publication, two works by Marinus Boezem are on display in the Oude Kerk. The embroidered cloth Gothic Gestures (2017) and the video work A Volo d’Uccello (2010) can be seen in the church's Saint Sebastian chapel until 11 August. Gothic Gestures is a cloth embroidered with the church map. In 2016 51 volunteers worked for months on a map of the Oude Kerk, embroidered in cross-stitch. The canvas was a collective and traditional process of making, just like the construction of the Oude Kerk once was. The slow progress of the embroidery reflects the long-term evolution of the building, which shaped a relationship between history, craft, environment and the conceptual practice of the artist.

marinus boezem

Boezem is considered to be one of the founders of Dutch conceptual art. A certain levity is quite typical of his work, for which he often makes use of intangible elements such as wind, air and transparency. He has a profound fascination with Gothic architecture, particularly cathedrals, which he sees as a metaphor for the human desire for spirituality. Cathedrals embody our desire to fly, to rise up and leave all earthly things behind. One of Boezem’s most famous works is the Green Cathedral (1978-2016) in the Dutch province of Flevoland. Still visible today, this project consists of 178 poplars planted in the form of the full-size plan of Reims Cathedral. The result is a cathedral of trees, with the sky as a canopy. This plan has become Boezem’s personal logo.

 

marinus boezem: into the air
July 13 until August 11, 2019
oude kerk, oudekerksplein (the red light district), Amsterdam
Open daily 10 am - 6 pm, Sunday 1 pm - 5:30 pm
tickets online

image

marinus boezem, gothic gestures (detail). oude kerk, 2016. fotograaf: maarten nauw

Publication date: 2 Jul '19