Foto © Temitayo Ogunbiyi / Roger Hiorns
Mental activation of artworks
Some sculptures in COME CLOSER only reveal their full meaning through human interaction. In the first Artist Talk, artists Temitayo Ogunbiyi and Roger Hiorns discuss the importance of the 'mental activation' of their artworks.
In Temitayo Ogunbiyi's work and performance, the audience can participate in a ritual act. The sculpture itself consists of casts of millstones, which hold historical and cultural significance. When held and a wish is made for another, they acquire an additional meaning. The stones suddenly become ritual objects for contemplating a collective, intercultural future.
At first glance, the industrial materials of Roger Hiorns' Pathways (2024) seem out of place in the context of a museum park. During performances, a naked young man moves in and around the objects. It is only then that the contrast between the vitality of the young man and the sterility of the material reveals something about youth and imagination versus the rigid structures of daily life.
In this Artist Talk, Temitayo Ogunbiyi and Roger Hiorns delve deeper into the 'mental activation' of their artworks.
Moderators: Heidi Ballet and Pieter Boons.
