levi van veluw: origin of the beginning

levi van veluw: origin of the beginning

levi van veluw: origin of the beginningron mandos gallery, amsterdam, netherlandson now through june 25th, 2011

in his solo exhibition ‘origin of the beginning’, dutch artist levi van veluw makes use of 30,000 wooden blocks, balls, and slats to blanket three rooms that recall his childhood bedroom. the life-size installations are accompanied by photographs and videos that not only bring literally to life the current installation, but also draw up the artist’s often-sombre memories of youth. known for his self-portraits which involve the layering of diverse materials onto his head, van veluw creates in this exhibition an entire narrative framework, without neglecting his emphasis on materiality, texture, and aesthetic.

the second room

the first of the three rooms contains a desk, a table lamp, and a bookcase, with a figure seated at the table. the table’s edge is burnt, a reference to van veluw’s childhood obsession with fire; and one of the video pieces of the exhibition recreates within the room this very act. nothing in the piece is left uncovered by 14,000 16-sq.centimeter wooden blocks, each handmade and individually glued upon the walls, ceiling, figure, and furniture. the other two rooms of the installation interpret other aspects of van veluw’s boyhood bedroom, blanketed in wooden slats and small wooden balls respectively.

the third room

detail view of the figures