Museumnight 2023

Self



4 november 2023

19:00 - 02:00

@
Mediamatic

Do you ever feel bothered by yourself? A lot or just a little? Come to Mediamatic to assess yourself together with a diverse team of artists. Surrender, let our experts help you and maybe you'll win a great diagnosis! Jump ahead on the waitlist or just skip a few turns for a V.I.P. low-stimuli experience.

During Museum Night 2023, Mediamatic will transform into a live self-test game. With the help of about ten art projects, you can explore questions such as: How different am I? And do I really want to belong anywhere?

Don't worry, there will also be a bar for normal people! 

This evening is part of the A/artist Program at Mediamatic.

Featuring a diagnosis game by Jam van der Aa,
curators Annelies Doom  and Willem Velthoven i.c.w. Artistic Research.

Museumnacht Booklet Dutch Museumnacht Booklet English


With works of:
Pet van der Luijtgaarden
11 Selected Collections 1998—2023 installation

Pet collects collections, compulsively so. For Mediamatic, he presents 11 of his most beloved collections in the winter installation of the Serres Séparées.

Collecting is a timeless practice. The value of a collection can be determined by demand and supply, completeness, or rarity. Valueless objects thus gain significance, and the act of collecting gives them value. The collection is a self-portrait or even the identity of the collector. But when does instinctive hunter-gatherer behavior turn into obsessive consumption?

Who is the curator here? Who is the hoarder?



Pet's Playmobil Collectie (detail) -  Pet vd Luijtgaarden


Ignacy Radtke
Smile like you really mean it 2023 installation

"Smile like you really mean it!" is an investigation in emotional labour.

It is most obvious in the service sector, but not only!

In the simulation, the smile is put into an emotionless reality where it becomes a commodity no other than aluminum, wheat or gold — dehumanized and part of a larger system.

The base price for a minute of smiling is €1,00, but its value fluctuates according to the stock market.

Smile like you really mean it and get your share!

* In both cases, we see that the sincerity of emotions is sacrificed for external objectives, such as efficiency in a commercial context or social acceptance in the case of autistic masking. This artwork challenges us to contemplate the toll of consistently suppressing our true emotions and the pursuit of conformity.



Smile like you really mean it ATM  


Minjoo Choi
I threw it fell I threw it fell It fell I felt I threw I fell  I threw I threw it fell 2022 performance

Minjoo throws clay, she hurls clay against the walls, she flings clay against the windows, and the clay falls, the clay dries, the clay is picked up again and kneaded until it can be thrown once more.

With this simple, repetitive act, she opens and unlocks herself.

She appears to think and feel through throwing. Is she disquieted? Or is the repetition of throwing a meditative exercise? Will she ever make the ultimate throw where she becomes clay herself?

It is a performance, but it is not meant to show anything to another.

She throws alone.

* For Annelies and Willem, the ideal rage room !



My Shadow is part of my body - Minjoo Choi - foto by Berry Lijesen


Genevieve Murphy
Your Feeling 2020 Musicvideo

Murphy's work is consistently musical and frequently delves into her own mind. She creates theatrical pieces where she always puts herself in the fray. Sometimes humorous and often touching. Her extreme facial expressions sharply contrast with the friendly lyrics of the song. The tension between the language and the expression can sometimes become unbearable.

* Pet finds this video too intense to watch all the way through



Still image from the performance "Your Feeling" by Genevieve Murphy -
With: Genevieve Murphy





Yvonne Dröge Wendel
Lieve, irresponsible Objects 2017 things

Can you love things the way you love people? Could you marry a piece of furniture?

Well, if you ask Yvonne, you surely can! She's especially in love with the small cabinet that used to stand in her mother's bedroom, made by the Wendel company. She even took it on a honeymoon. Yvonne carries the name Wendel to this day.

"Show me your belongings, and I'll tell you who you are." Objects as the authors of our life.

We do not exist without objects, but what kind of existence have those objects shaped for us?

How do we interact with things? What do they mean to us and to themselves? How do things come into being? How are they made? How do we collaborate with them?

In her playful philosophical installations, she creates experimental encounters. She rethinks the separation between subject and object while reshaping our understanding of how humans and non-humans create worlds. This is the main focus of her artistic research.

Sink into her chairs, and discover how irresponsible and seductive furniture can be ;)



Yvonne Dröge Wendel 


Jemima de Jonge
Table-Scene, A Body of Water 2023 Video installation

When does a sense of safety and security, for example, turn into claustrophobia and fear? And when does it float back? When does it become humorous or grim?

For Jemima, these tipping points are an intriguing territory to explore because they are not entirely measurable and not entirely comprehensible. And because they are uncomfortable.

In "a body of water", Jemima devours her table. And she doesn't do it just once; on the screen, there are eight versions of her. They gather around the table, tear bits of it apart, and rapidly nibble them away while engaging in lively conversation with each other. Notably, the table is made of cardboard, as are the chairs, the lamps, the paintings, and essentially everything in the room, including the room itself. These young women are consuming their own environment - until one of them chokes on a piece of cardboard, and panic ensues.

Everyone has compulsive tendencies, ways to bring structure to their lives. Which can ultimately turn into something compulsive and extreme.

Where do we draw the line?






Jam van der Aa
Transformational Ragdoll Making  2023 workshop.

In this workshop, participants will create small transformational rag dolls, known as poppets, with the intention of bringing about positive change and healing.

This creative and introspective activity is designed to explore personal relationships, emotions, and desires for change through the art of doll-making.

The focus is on using imitative magic for good and personal growth rather than casting spells or curses.



Ragdol Jam van der Aa -


Vera Lelie
The Waiting Room 2023 Fashioncollection.

If you consider a piece of clothing as a space, you can see that, much like in architectural design, there are many ways in which clothing can be made more accessible.

Vera Lelie's relationship with clothing is shaped by her neurodiverse perception. She dampens and removes information to avoid sensory overload. In doing so, she creates static images by capturing shapes and silhouettes as a contrast to her hyperactivity. She hyperfixates on subjects and uses her hyper-awareness to create environments where the boundary blurs: where does a piece of clothing begin, and where does a space end?

In her fashion collection, she plays with the irony of many neurodiverse individuals waiting for treatment in a space where they have not yet learned to navigate.

And wait they will if they deviate even slightly from the norm...



Vera Lelie - the waiting room - overview  


Gerard van Wolferen
Self Gamelan 2023 Interactive performance .

From childhood dance steps to intricate compositions, Gerard reflects on his remarkable 30-year journey in Suriname Javanese Gamelan, and how neurodiversity has shaped his musical narrative.

Come and join our interactive Self Gamelan and perform through the night !



Gerard van Wolferen playing the Gamelan with Mick Jagger 


Silke Riis
Underwaterworld 2023 Installation

Silke's work revolves around speculative futures and imaginary species.

With her sculptures of speculative botanical species, Silke explores the idea of evolution being driven and shaped by climate change. By combining beauty and horror in the aesthetics of each piece, she reflects her own feelings about the uncertain future she faces.

Each of Silke's sculptures is in a different stage of a slow transformation. You may not notice it immediately, but if you touch their tentacles or stroke their skin (yes, you can touch them!), they may crack or peel, revealing how each piece is unmistakably in the process of decay.

Created using a self-developed technique that combines natural latex with unfired clay, the pieces become flexible and resilient but inherently ephemeral.

For Museum Night, she drew inspiration from the sea cucumber and "cucumber curvature rules," EU laws from the 1980s that specify a set of standards for the curvature of cucumbers. They must not be curved but must be grown straight.

*The idea of imposing a "normal" shape on something that is naturally different playfully touches on the theme of neurodiversity: the forced shaping of something that is naturally curved, creating a "normal" that is actually quite abnormal for this species.

Did you know that sea cucumbers have no brains and breathe through their butts? Or that their poop plays a crucial part in the nitrogen cycles and calcium carbonate availability in coral reefs, helping protect corals from ocean acidification caused by climate change?"

In Danish, the sea cucumber is actually called "søpølse," which translates to "sea-sausage" or "sea-poop"!

Come and immerse yourself in Silke's wondrous habitat and create your own "søpølse"!






Simone Hooymans
Talking Plants 2021 Video Installation

In the video installation "Talking Plants" the viewer is challenged to discover a strange botanical world with mystical plants and their personal voices.

The mystical design of some of the plants in the animation are inspired on the antique Botanical Voynich manuscript, which was written by an unknown author in the 15th century.

The Voynich manuscript is a mysterious, illustrated handwritten book with unintelligible content. The script, written in an unknown language or code, has not yet been deciphered and throughout the centuries had many owners and scientist who tried to solve the mystery.

The mysterious plants from the manuscript and its secret code pushed Simone to think of the secret life that plants have. It inspired her to make this animation where the plants show off their movements and speak a language of their own.



Simone Hooymans Talking plants  



Talking plants


Weimin Zhu
Playfull jewelry for the inner world 2021 jewelry collection and video

By engaging in rhythmic movements, you can connect with your inner world, become more aware of your body, and better process sensory stimuli. Some people do this involuntarily, while others are consciously aware of it, finding solace in these movements and using them to manage their emotions, both positive and negative.

This collection features silver jewelry pieces that invite the wearer to engage in meditative movements. Weimin offers workshops where participants explore their own movements and celebrate them by designing a matching piece of jewelry.

*The psychological term for this repetitive behaviour is stimming. We often talk about stimming in the context of sensory variations like autism, but overstimulation can be a problem for anyone. This is partly due to a large increase in the number of triggers that humans have to deal with. Our attention is constantly diverted, making it so valuable that it is even bought and traded. So let's try stimming together!



Weimin Zhu: playful jewelry for the inner mind -  Weimin Zhu

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Are you ever bothered by yourself? A lot or just a little? Come to Mediamatic and evaluate yourself through the works of a diverse team of artists. Hand yourself over to our experts, let them help you, you may even win a great diagnosis! Jump ahead on the waitlist, or just skip a few turns for a V.I.P. low-stimuli experience.

Also for normal beings!



Wat denk je Zelf? A/artist

The motto of Mediamatic presentation for Museumnight 2023 is hard to translate into English. Literally, it means "What do you think yourself?" but in Dutch it is often used rethorically and means "Make up your own mind" or "I don't think so" or even "Are you out of your mind?". Next to our A/artist mascotte borrowed from Walter van Beirendonck. Walter van Beirendonck

During Museumnight 2023, Mediamatic will transform into a lively self-examination site. With the help of about ten art projects, you can explore questions such as: "How different am I?" and "Do I really want to belong anywhere?"

Don't worry, there will also be a bar for normal people!

This evening is part of Mediamatic's A/artist program.

Featuring a diagnosis game by Jam van der Aa.

The program has been curated by Annelies Doom and Willem Velthoven in collaboration with Artistic Research.

Met Weimin Zhu, Vera Lelie, Yvonne Dröge Wendel, Thijmen Peters, Simone Hooymans, Silke Riis, Pet van de Luitgaarden, Minjoo Choi, Jemima de Jonge, Jam van der Aa, Ignacy Radtke, Gerard van Wolferen en Genevieve Murphy, Annelies Wina Doom.

Admission only with a Museumnight ticket (sold out)

For the Sensitive

On November 11, from 18:00 till 20:30, Mediamatic are offering "Zelf Again", a lower-intensity evening with the same programme for those who find Museumnight a bit overstimulating and those who couldn't get a ticket anymore for the 4th. More information and tickets here.

Booklet Museumnacht ZELF (NL versie)
Self test Museum Night 2023
Zelf diagnose sticker uitslag
Zelf 1 Normaal sticker

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Previous Events

We are happy to announce a new season of A/artist public events which will kick off on the 18th of September. Through these events, we'll be continuing to explore the neurodivergent experience in the practice of the arts.

Join us to meet Genevieve Murphy and Ignacy Radtke, two artists who playfully explore sensory and social (dis)comforts in their work. Genevieve Murphy uses music and performance art to investigate themes of psychology, disability and the intricacies of human relationships, and Ignacy Radtke's latest project Why Do Hoodie Strings Taste So Good? delves into artistic research on fidgeting and comfort objects.

Playing with (dis)comfort
A / artist meeting # 3

18 sept 2023

17:30 - 21:00


@
Mediamatic


Please rsvp an email to info@artisticresearch.org 
if you are interested to join the program




Tools for flourishing in arteducation and life

neuro-queer-in-art-education

looking-via-the-brain-not-the-eye

neuro-diversity-and-inclusivity-at-miro

for-the-love-of-the-object-design-in-the-opposition

the-idea-becomes-the-machine-that-makes-the-book

words-randomness-and-rules

robin-waart-is-an-artist-who-makes-books-who-makes-books

shields-and-shelter

was-hildegard-von-bingen-autistic

inspiring-confusion-with-photographs

sensing-self-through-movement

using-autism-to-imagine-alternative-worlds

can-an-artwork-be-autistic

book-club-visual-thinking

processing-stimuli-through-drawings