Olaf Mooij – The two worlds of Olaf Mooij – 14 February 2016 until 19 June 2016

12-10-2016

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The use of existing shapes and objects plays an important role in the work of Olaf Mooij (1958). These existing shapes and objects provide inspiration and influence the direction he takes. 
Olaf Mooij sees the car as a rich source of fuel for his imagination, he considers the car to be a living creature that goes through a life cycle, from birth to a return to dust. It is therefore understandable that these works are comprised primarily of car components, both life size and toy size.
 
The use of car parts resulted in a series of works ‘Relics of a Bygone Era’ in which the car is hardly recognisable. Sometimes only just recognisable, abstracted to a contour, a profile, or a cross-section. These pieces are created in combination with a diversity of materials such as polyester, rubber, wood, moulding resin or papier-mâché – all materials that give the image a tactile quality. 
Each image is a car in a state of metamorphosis, a car skin, a car spermatozoon, a car egg, a car fossil, a car skeleton, etc. What first appears to be an embryo preserved in formaldehyde is actually a car in a state of transition, with a tail like a tadpole or a spermatozoon.
 
The first car artwork that Olaf Mooij made was the DJ Mobile 2005 (collection VRT Belgium). Parallel to the life cycle pieces, this work led to the creation of a series of sound objects that also incorporate existing shapes and objects. The Soundsystems have often been used at festivals such as Down The Rabbit Hole and Pukkelpop (B) but are rarely exhibited as objects, while the life cycle works are regularly exhibited.

This exhibition presents these two worlds alongside each other.

For the most recent selection of art works in the Van Abbevitrine, please click the following link.  
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This post is also available in: NL

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