Bait/Bite
On a recent visit to Utrecht, I saw a curiously named exhibition that united two artists, Ricardo van Eyk and Janine van Oene. In the small space designated to them in the Centraal Museum, they managed to play off each other's work in a way that made it seem harmonious and like the works were made to be displayed together. Van Eyk constructed walls and interventions that separated the space into multiple little nooks, while the works hung on them were created by van Oene. What made these paintings appealing was their colour schemes, often consisting of complimentary colours, which were naturally pleasing to the human eye. Although this was my first time hearing of Janine, her paintings seemed instantly recognisable to me, perhaps due to the specific quality of oil paints, combined with a mixture of real objects and abstraction, as well as the colour choices she makes.
Additionally, several of van Eyk's objects were interspersed throughout the space, which refer to what is known as "hostile architecture". The term describes design elements implemented especially in public spaces, which intentionally push certain groups of people, particularly people experiencing homelessness and minorities, out of those places. Not long ago, I listened to a @croradiowave podcast episode on this topic, and while I knew about hostile architecture as a concept, it had never occurred to me that it also encompasses things that are not present, like drinking fountains, which estrange individuals from public spaces by their mere non-presence. With the exception of projects like Sarah Ross’ Archisuits, I haven’t seen this topic be a central theme in art very often. That is despite the fact, that this method of urban design has been an interest of public debate over the past decades, therefore it was intriguing to be introduced to an artists whose work draws on the topic.
In the context of the exhibition, it creates an interesting juxtaposition between the concept of alienation present in Van Eyk's work and the term "bait/bite", which is used in connection to Van Oene's works and how she uses graphic elements in her painting to lure people in, to "bait" them into "biting" and staying to examine her work further. It's an opposition that is palpable in the space itself to me; I wasn't really sure what I thought of it and whether I felt drawn to it or pushed away, perhaps both. Moreover, it took me a couple of days of sitting with the experience to collect my thoughts on what I took away from the exhibition and the connections I had made. Definitely a thinker!