At Prospects, Britte Koolen (1994) is presenting a bright-red modular installation consisting of six connected wall sculptures with rounded shapes. The space where Koolen exhibits the work determines how she sets up and presents its separate parts. For the first time she is now presenting all six parts simultaneously.
Koolen realized the work during a residency at Witte Rook in Breda. As part of this residency she was given free rein to create a work on a plot in a park measuring 49 square metres. She decided not to place anything, but instead use these dimensions as a source of inspiration for a series of drawings that eventually evolved into four books. As a sequel to this project, over the past six months she has been working on a sculptural translation of these drawings, ultimately leading to the current modular installation.
Typical of Koolen’s work is her focus on rhythm, tranquillity, and silence. For this work she specifically wanted to test how far she could go in repeating the circular shape. In total more than a hundred circles are hidden in the sculpture. It is also no accident that the installation is red. Koolen: “To me red is a very important colour. Whenever I feel uncomfortable or restless I always try to look for something red in the room to calm down.”
As red is a very noticeable colour, the artist rarely has trouble finding peace. Her detailed and brightly coloured work thus unexpectedly serves as a beacon of tranquillity.
Text: Milo Vermeire
Translation from Dutch to English: Marie Louise Schoondergang