Part of the puntWG Open Call Series

Open Wednesdays-Sundays, 14:00-18:00

Bernke Klein Zandvoort is interested in the paramateriality of the gaze. Our gaze belongs to us like a limb does, but when we try to touch it, our hand moves right through – like a magician showing there is no magic involved before starting the trick.  

Although technically our eyes work more like the insensitive sensors of cameras that cannot hold anything, the exhibition Eye as an Oracle presents the gaze as a projector. Klein Zandvoort takes the ancient belief that sight consisted out of rays from our eyes as a speculative for thinking about image, sight and virtuality.

In her fragmented video installation multiple narratives are woven together. A neuroscientific research group explores how predictions facilitate perception, a blind sculptor reproduces her mirror image by touch, a prosthetic eye is being handmade in a lab, and a woman sees phantom images after one of her eyes had to be removed. 

In these various narratives the scientific, speculative and poetic get entwined. In the undercurrent, Klein Zandvoort wonders to what extent we live in a continuous forecast of the future and whether we can regard our perception as a virtual process.

Events

Seeing without sight
Workshop
Sunday 15th of October 11:30-13:30

What is sight and what could sight be without using your eyes? How do we move when we are not seen? How can we see another person without looking? In this gathering in the dark, guided by a blind and a seeing person, we explore in what other ways sight can be understood.

Mei-Lan Ng is a consciousness coach, artist, surfer, blind and limitlessly curious. She is fascinated by and trained in looking beyond the visible.

Alexandra Jaqcuet creates performative encounters and sensory installations, in which intimacy is explored in many facets.

Max. 10 participants

RSVP via bernke.begint@gmail.com

Poetry program in collaboration with Perdu
On Saturday the 21st of October a poetry program will take place amidst the video installation Eye as an Oracle.

The multi-lingual event is made in collaboration with Perdu and features the readings of Dorien de Wit, Jimena Casas, Maureen Ghazal and Bernke Klein Zandvoort.

Because all of these four poets are artists as well, the program will also explore the connections
between poetry and art, language as a material, and multi-linguality.

Doors open prior to the event, so if you come a little earlier, you can have a look at the video
installation.

Practical information
Perdu en route – Eye as an Oracle
puntWG, Amsterdam
WG-plein, opposite of nr. 80

Doors open: 19:30
Program: 20 - 21.15
Entrance: free
Languages: Dutch, English, Spanish

Artist talk in collaboration with We Are Public
If you are a member (or want to become a member) of We Are Public, you can sign up here for an artist talk on Sunday the 22nd of October at 13.00 hr.

Artist talk and reading programme
Friday 20th of October 19:30-20:30
(information to follow soon)

This project is made possible by funding from AFK, Mondriaan Fonds and Stichting Stokroos.

Photography by Ilya Rabinovich