Guillem S. Arquer is a human art practitioner and researcher based in Rotterdam. His practice could be defined as trans-media and it develops from a deep interest in site-specificity, improvisation and the poetic materiality of found objects. He is interested in the conceptual and technological infrastructures that support the bipolar world-views that obfuscate the connection of the human species with the Earth's ecosystems. Alongside his research interest in 'naturecultures', he tries to reimagine and develop what an art practice tuned to more-than-human worlds can be.
Tracing Soil Movements
Rotterdam soils are constantly shifting: some being excavated to make room for new underground household “waste” containers, others being carted in as foundations for new parks. Some, if too polluted, into depths distant from human bodies. Join artists Kate Price and Guillem S. Arquer as they jump on their bikes to guide us through and follow the trails of soil movements in the city of Rotterdam.
Springboard Art Fair
Presentation of 'Composting Structures' in collaboration with Guillem S. Arquer in booth "P", curated by Leana Boven for Springboard Art Fair.
End presentation 'Investigating: Humus communitites in Rotterdam'
Our time surrounded by soil, worms and people as part of our residency period at the Goethe Institut in Rotterdam is slowly creeping to an end. As such we warmly invite you to a relaxed end presentation of our 3 month research project on Wednesday 26 April, from 16:30-19:30, at Goethe Institut, Westersingel 9, 3014GM Rotterdam.
'sharing humusities group reading session' w Kate Price
'sharing humusities: a group reading session' was organised in collaboration with Kate Price at Goethe-Institut Rotterdam for Art Central Rotterdam XL 2023. The reading group session was organised as part of their research project, 'Investigating: Humus communities in Rotterdam'. The gathering revolved around the notion of humusities, being understood as a term that brings together the many entanglements between humans and humus.
Investigating: Humus communities in Rotterdam
Together with Guillem S. Arquer, this three month collaborative research residency aimed to work with the collective knowledge of the peoples of Rotterdam involved in compost making in order to learn from their positive relationships with soil. This project constituted an attempt to raise awareness of the potential of city generated organic waste as an important and beneficial medium through which to re-evaluate the relationship between human and more-than-human agencies in urban ecologies.
Wild Summer of Art Part I - Groepsexpo met Rotterdamse kunstenaars
Een enorme expositie met geselecteerd jong talent en gevestigde namen met nieuw werk van in totaal 180 kunstenaars. Wild Summer of Art biedt een overzicht over de stand van nu.
'The Interludes', Good Times Bad Times Radio (OPERATOR radio)
'turning the compost pile', audio piece in collaboration with Kate Price which featured in 'The Interludes' by Good Times Bad Times Radio at Operator Radio.
Research Residency at Piet Zwart Institute
Three month research residency at the Piet Zwart Institute in which I followed my ongoing interest in the conceptual and technological infrastructures that condition and hold the bodily experience of interior/indoor spaces. The outcomes of the residency was a sonic performance/experimental listening session at the boiler room on the PZI building and a conversation with the current PZI students about what I have surrounded myself with during this period of research.
Composting workshop w Kate Price
Composting workshop and compost facility inauguration (in collaboration with Kate Price) at the garden of the Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam, NL.
The composting facility was made with reused production material form the Piet Zwart MFA Graduation Show 2021.
Communal lunch was prepared with food grown in the garden.
pictures by Silvia Arenas
MFA PZI Graduation Show: Material Context
This exhibition is inclusive of Piet Zwart Master Fine Art graduates of both 2020 and 2021. Their works, as singular as they may be, also stand as markers for an ongoing shared experience: not only of pandemic and social transformation, but also of the smaller movements of everyday life. There is a general sociality between these works as they came into being around each other.