Mathilde ter Hejne
dal 11/4/2002 al 2/6/2002
Segnalato da
11/4/2002
Mathilde ter Hejne
Migros Museum, Zurich
Tragedy. The psyche of human beings, the Spannungsbogen of mutual understanding and not understanding and the question of cultural differences determine the work and thinking of the Dutch artist Mathilde der Heijne (1969). Her subject is self-sacrifice for one's own, as for propagated ideals, for love or for one's own country.
TRAGEDY
The psyche of human beings, the Spannungsbogen* of mutual understanding and not understanding and the question of cultural differences determine the work and thinking
of the Dutch artist Mathilde der Heijne (1969).
Her subject is self-sacrifice for one's own, as for propagated ideals, for love or for one's
own country. Detached and uncompromising, she works to the limits of social and
individual behaviour and cultural differences. In this way she examines the concept and expectation of love in different geographical surroundings, the integration attempts in our
western latitudes or how far dogmatisms in politics affect individual behaviour.
Ter Heijne links fiction and documentary material to fragile narration. She uses this in
order to involve the observer in equally unstable realities. Art in this case offers the
necessary everyday distance which enables her to enforce the confrontation.
This approach is concentrated in her exhibition project "Tragedy" in the migros museum for contemporary
art. The theme is based on the origin of Greek tragedy, with the thought of amalgamating the issue
with present-day charging of importance. The field of tension stretches from the beginnings of tragedy
in the human sacrificial rites of ancient Greece to the present-day ubiquitous, medially filtered images
of human catastrophes.
On view are six installative works that were created in the last two years. The bow bends from individual
to collective self-sacrifice. In the video installation "Mathilde, Mathilde" (2000) the starting point is her first name Mathilde which in the French film symptomatically and specifically stands for the role of those who
sacrifice themselves.
The individual self-sacrifice quickly intermixes with the social as soon as it is a question of political
values. The video work "Suicide Bomb" (2000) treats the remake of a suicide attack and takes up
the unapproachableness of such deeds through a familiar west-european ambient field.
Mathilde ter Heijne uses herself in all these works as material and as double. With grotesque irony
she uses all these figures to have herself appear at the end of the exibition with the work "Five Times
Hi" (2002) on a sacrificial platform in the manner of Greek greatness. The scenery is set according to
the Greek tragedy "Ephigenie in Taurus". All figures have a role of their own according to classical
standards. Taken together - they also form the chorus and sing a piece of Gluck from the opera (1779)
of the same name.
A catalogue with various interviews in German and English will be published for the exhibition.
We wish to thank Fine Arts, Zug, for producing the presentation unit, Davide Macullo, architect, Lugano,
for the design of the exhibition, and Zanotta, Milan.
The symposium stuff it will take place from 31 May to 2 June - a symposium on the subject of "Video Essays" - in collaboration with the Institute for Theory of Creation and Art of the Academy for Creation and Art, Zurich - designed and organized by Ursula Biemann.
The migros museum for contemporary art is an institution of the Migros Culture Percent.
Image: Mathilde ter Heijne, "Small Things End, Great Things Endure" 2001, Still from video loop
Press Conference: Friday, 12 April 2002, 10.30 am
Opening: Friday, 12 April 2002, 6.00 pm
Opening hours: Tue. to Fri. 12 am - 6 pm
Sat., Sun. 11 am - 5 pm
Mondays closed
Information: Tel +41 1 277 20 50
migros museum für gegenwartskunst
Limmatstrasse 270
CH-8031 Zürich
P: +41 1 277 20 99 F: +41 1 277 62 86