Wouter Klein Velderman: Squadron Me, 26 Nov 2015 — 09 Jan 2016
Exhibitions

Wouter Klein Velderman: Squadron Me

Squadron Me is the second solo show by Dutch artist Wouter Klein Velderman, following his first exhibition in Italy at Spazioborgogno, Speed of culture…, in 2012.
Klein Velderman will present three series of new works: “Revolting Mass”, “Squadron Me” and “Now It Can Rain”.

The three reproductions of the first World War fighting planes that form the work “Revolting Mass” represent one of the first machines that could fight enemies from the sky. Eventhough these historical artifacts are already a hundred years old, they seem to be more relevant than ever. If you extend the timeline of these creatures of destruction to the present you’ll be facing many complex political situations all over the world where they are still being used. The contemporary air force industry runs from the Joint Strike Fighter program to unmanned aerial vehicals, also known as drones.

Klein Velderman puts an absurdist twist to these planes by bounding them to the columns of the gallery space with very old Japanese bondage techniques. This ambivalent action carries not only a gesture of violence but also shows the beauty of construction in relation to the initial deconstructive function of the planes.

“Squadron Me” shows a series of collages that are based on the drawings on the emblems that each pilot of an air force fighter squadron has sticked on his jacket. Together these works form a fictional timeline of squadrons from its very first beginning to the present.

This constructive side is also very much present in “Now It Can Rain”. It’s made of endlessly processed truck tarpaulin, all manually cut, twisted and sewn by following a strict method. Its industrial character contradicts with its valuable process of creation.

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