Paul Geelen – Æon Flux

Paul Geelen has a curious mind, not unlike that of a scientist or even an alchemist. The difference is that he never seems to be looking for a certain result but rather looks in wonder at how things react to each other; for instance when you put a snail on a copper plate, poor molten led in cold water or simply place some objects together and see how they respond. As a result his work never seems to be quite finished, but only to have come to a temporary stand still when presented in public. The themes he addresses however are timeless and universal: how things affect each other and change, how one single  act or thought gives birth to another.

Another aspect of his work involves an investigation in how people respond when confronted with something unexpected or out of place. For example by placing himself inside a pedestal with only his hand sticking out in a glass bell-jar and listening to the people discussing the work (literally without considering the artist’s actual presence). Or by constructing a fake elevator in a space where it makes no sense at all (only to find out that most people simply accept it and even spend time waiting for the elevator to arrive and the doors to slide open).
At P/////AKT Geelen has built a construction that allows a strange element to enter the space at the front and leave at the back. We suggest you just come and see it, and also highly recommend his presentation at Offspring, de Ateliers.