Exhibition by Willem van Wiegel "Kinetic Sculpture"

Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art presents its first exhibition in 2022 - dynamic sculptures by the Dutch artist Willem van Wiegel, known for his work in the genre of kinetic art.

• Mobile structures that visualize the passage of time
• Incredible variety of continuously changing patterns
• An immersive sculpture created specifically for the exhibition at the Erarta Museum

Kinetic art originated in the early twentieth century. His models are the sculptures of Vladimir Tatlin, Alexander Rodchenko and - perhaps the most famous example - Alexander Calder. However, van Vigel brings kinetic art to a qualitatively new level: he uses in his works technologies previously inaccessible to artists - integrated computer mechanisms hidden from the observer. According to the artist himself, the electronic components are deliberately hidden: they are nothing more than a means to achieve the true goal - the visualization of the passage of time.

Each of the 17 compositions of the author, which the audience will see in the Erarta Museum, is a complex mobile structure modeled using a computer. Being essentially monochrome abstractions, these images make one think about the nature of positive and negative spaces and the relationship between them - in this case, between moving objects and the contrast field surrounding them as an element of artistic composition.

And, of course, visitors to the exhibition will not be left without a surprise. In addition to the two-dimensional works typical for the artist, the Erarta Museum will also present the result of a creative collaboration - a large-scale immersive sculpture more than 15 meters long, created by Willem van Wigel especially for this exhibition. Moving freely in the exhibition space among mobile structures resembling trees, viewers will be able to feel like an organic part of the artist’s whimsical creative world.

About the author:

Willem van Vigel was born in 1956 in the Dutch city of Wageningen. After studying at the university as a teacher of fine arts, Willem presented his first kinetic object as a graduation project. Subsequently, having tried his hand at other techniques, van Wigel concentrated entirely on dynamic work.

Willem van Wiegel’s work has been presented at many prestigious art fairs, including Art Cologne, Art Paris and London’s Kinetica Art Fair. The author’s exhibitions have been held in a number of major museums, including the Museum Kranenburgh in Bergen (Netherlands), and the American Institute of Architects in Washington (D.C.) commissioned van Wiegel to implement a special project called Lift Your Eyes. The artist’s works are also in private collections around the world.