I am fascinated with the surface of steel. It is a substance so strong and industrial in nature. I love interrogating it, pushing its boundaries and playing with the alchemical processes. I look to bring life and dynamism to the materials that have constructed my hometown. I also love painting on it, the beauty of the oil paint gliding on its smooth surface.
If anything, Conditions, small as it might seem, is a really dense exposition to a very complex issue that needs the visitor to take their time in perusing each work.
Remmy’s short coming however lies in his inability to zero down on a particular subject or themes that he could dance around to make a whole. He wobbles around multiple ideas that he fails to link into one.
Telting’s paintings are topical and relevant in their own right. I have discussed them from the point of view of Telting’s commitment as a Black artist, and I have linked his work to the concept of Black Aesthetics. I take it that, once his work is juxtaposed to works from the Stedelijk Museum’s permanent collection, new relations, perspectives and cross-pollinations come to the surface, and will continue to do so.
Artworks and projects that subtly weave in social and political awareness into a broader tapestry of our everyday human concerns have the potential to acquire more immersive and complex dimensions.