Alida van Gool (1986) is conceptueel kunstenaar. In haar werk onderzoekt ze de wisselwerking tussen onze verbeelding en de gedeelde realiteit, waarbij de nadruk ligt op de constructie van betekenis en waarde. Haar kunstpraktijk is gestoeld op experiment, associatie en intuïtie. Haar werk toont vaak sporen van schijnbare ‘sloppiness’ (in de bredere betekenis van losjes, emotioneel, rommelig zijn) tijdens het uitvoeringsproces, waarmee ze onze mentale perfectieprojecties onderzoekt en uitdaagt.
Haar werken zijn vaak gelaagd, in beweging of gematerialiseerd te midden van een bepaalde beweging. Ze kenmerken zich door een zekere speelsheid, elementen van (de)constructie en veelvuldig gebruik van kleur.
'Ik wil de grenzen van wat we als echt, waardevol en betekenisvol beschouwen bevragen, oprekken en weerleggen.’
Integration (2024)
Self-portrait - 'Self-portrait' explores themes of perception, self-reflection and identity.
The work consists of 8 small, round mirrors (never enough to see yourself fully reflected in them), mounted to the wall in a circle. The center of the circle is empty. The viewer does not see themselves reflected when he/she/them stands in the middle of the work. The viewer must, as it were, look for himself in the work, move through it. The mirrors have been covered with semitransparent, colored adhesive foil by the artist, leaving visible traces in the form of scratches and air bubbles in between the mirror and the surface of the work.
Proposal - ‘Proposal’ explores the relationship between stillness, form, motion, and playfulness. Through creating this work, I used and challenged repetition as one of the specific aspects of the screenprinting medium. Limiting myself to using only the three primary colors and a variation on three basic forms, I created numerous A4-sized prints on paper and formed them into groups of four. They can be assembled modularly to form one larger piece. All the prints are unique in their composition, and similar in colors and used elements. The combination of their similarities and slight differences evokes a playful movement, the suggestion of a dance, in the viewers’ imagination.
PASSAGE - PASSAGE is a photographic exploration of the enigmatic realm between reality and fantasy, and a reflection on the courage and curiosity needed to change your perspective.
Our physical environment is full of glimpses into other worlds. Worlds that emerge in your imagination, where different laws apply, and unforeseen possibilities unfold. I catch these glimpses and translate them into vibrant photographic works that have a slightly surreal and electric quality to them. The images are metaphoric meeting places on the cusp of reality, guiding the viewer through the liminal space between the ordinary and the sublime, presence and absence, life and death.
Every image is a passage of an ongoing poem about the state of change we continuously find ourselves in. The images relate to each other through visual elements of rhythm and rhyme, and are filled with entrances and exits, remnants of fleeting everyday moments, and traces of visitors from another place and time. Like decorated portals, they provide routes through which the viewer can explore their beliefs about reality, reflect on the boundaries of perception and wander through the surreal landscape of their own imagination.
Seven days of creation - 'Seven days of creation' is a seven-piece mixed-media work in which I explore time, consciousness and the interplay between imagination and shared reality. Inspired by the Genesis creation narrative and the modern day act of art journaling, I explore and portray the idea that we use our shared reality to create, alter and construct our own individual version of reality, supplemented by our memories and reflections.
The used photograph shows a misty view of a seemingly endless river. Elements that could have come straight from a teenage art journal, both visual and text-based, have been added to each photo. Different colors and materials cover the original image to various degrees. The composition of the combined 7 pieces shows similarities with the infinity symbol, referring to the endless way we create and recreate our experiences and therefore the stories of our individual lives, through the composing act of forming simplified memories and reflecting on our experiences.
