eschenau newsletter

Last Post

2011-08-23T03:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends of herman de vries,
I decided to concentrate all information by and about herman de vries on the website www.hermandevries.org. It proved to be not that efficient is I expected to have a newsletter and a website as well, both offering more or less compatible information. Now and in the future you will find on the home of the website (outgoing) links to current and expected exhibitions and recent publications.

Hope to see you back on www.hermandevries.org.

Co Seegers

Wageningen : homogeneous and heterogeneous

2011-07-12T00:40:00.001-07:00

July 11, herman de vries celebrated his 80^th birthday. That occasion is reason for museums, art galleries and art spaces in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe to pay special attention to this leading Dutch artist. And so does Galerie Wit in Wageningen with a solo exhibition titled ‘homogeneous and heterogeneous’ (August 21 to September 11).

Galerie Wit shows works from his Zero period in contrast with more recent work. On view will be among others ‘random shapes’, approximately 6 meters long row of 8 white rectangles of arbitrary size, only previously exhibited at Riekje Swart in 1972. From the same period a fine white relief of 1 x 1 m. The newer work includes four major rubbings from La Gomera, and the plant works, 'after the harvest' (combine waste, 73 x 102 cm) and an equally large piece of woodland (litter layer viewed from above), plus various smaller works.

During the exhibition the short documentary ‘herman de vries’ from the series Dutch Masters in the 21st Century, by Barbara Makkinga and produced by Interakt will be shown. The work herman de vries made during the recording of the film is also included in the exhibition.

The exhibition will be opened on August 21 at 15 pm by Bianca Stigter. In her book Per ongeluk expres a chapter is devoted to herman de vries. herman de vries will be present during the finissage, September 11 at 15.00.

Images:
above: random shapes, "1972, wood, white paint, variable size, as pictured (98 x 590 x 3 cm
middle: La Gomera, 2000 (4 times 140 x 100 cm)

left: ‘curves (molinea cearulea)’, 2010 (73 x 102 cm)

summer press publication 63

2011-07-01T04:11:00.000-07:00

searching for the source

herman de vries with marion reissner, merik de vries

eschenau : the eschenau summer press & temporary travelling press publications

herman de vries publisher

2011

eschenau summer press publication 63

Camera: marion reißner

Film editing: merik de vries

Printed by Oeckler, Haßfurt/Main

108 copies, numbered.

White cover, containing 1 DVD, colour

handwriting verso: "& serendipity"

16.8 × 12.7 cm

Marseille : Arts Psychoactifs

2011-06-29T03:36:00.000-07:00

Arts Psychoactifs
Galerie des Grands Bains Douches de la Plaine, Marseille
23 June to 27 August 2011
Press Release

Group Exhibition, curated by Antoine Perpère
Participating artists: Aurèle, Barrus, Briand, Berdaguer-Pejus, Charbonnier, herman de vries, Hains, Limone, Menini, Foucault, Perpère, Rochette-Brevet, Shrigley, Wise...

Venice : Personal Structures

2011-06-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

The exhibition PERSONAL STRUCTURES is part of an international art project. It was initiated in 2002 by the Dutch artist Rene Rietmeyer, who noticed that even in the most distant corners of the world, there are artists working with Time - Space and Existence, thereby expressing themselves in a very personal way. This observation led to the idea of bringing several of these artists together in publications, exhibitions and symposia.

Palazzo Bembo will be home of the exhibition PERSONAL STRUCTURES. The Palazzo is located in front of the Rialto Bridge, facing the Grand Canal.
The exhibition can be visited at the 900 m2 second floor of Palazzo Bembo, 4 June until 27 November 2011.

other info : www.venice-exhibitions.org/.

Publication : het is - es ist

2011-05-28T06:36:00.000-07:00

het is = es ist

This publication is volume 6 in a series of bibliophile editions. In these editions double talents, artists with visual as well as literary works, are proposed. This publication is edited by herman de vries and Cees de Boer, text and photography by herman de vries. The book is published in an edition of 250 by Dimter 73 in Hengelo and designed by Sepp Bader, Fleringen.

The photographs are taken in an afternoon in the northern Steigerwald, Bavaria.

Dutch Masters in the 21st century

2011-05-22T04:11:00.000-07:00

On May 18, the project Dutch Masters in the 21st century was presented. It is a unique collaboration between several local broadcasters and art institutes. The project will now be continued as an exhibition at the Kunsthal, Rotterdam until June 26th.

Dutch Masters [Hollandse Meesters] is composed of filmed portraits of visual artists in their work place. The aim of the project is to produce an extensive serie in which a whole generation of artist is represented. One of the first artists to be filmed was herman de vries (by Barbara Makkinga).

Artists: Charlotte Schleiffert, Hans Aarsman, Philip Akkerman, Erik van Lieshout, Teun Hocks, Iris van Dongen, herman de vries, Bertien van Manen, Koos Breukel, Berend Strik, Natasja Kensmil, Job Koelewijn, Jan Dibbets, Marc Bijl, Koen Vermeule, Jan van Munster, David Bade, Joep van Lieshout en Mark Manders

Films made by (among others): Pieter Verhoeff, Eddy Terstall, Barbara Makkinga, Robert Oey and Michiel van Nieuwkerk.

The films will be shown during exhibitions, on television (RTV Noord-Holland) and on the internet. herman de vries was shown at the start of the presentation. He will be on RTV Noord-Holland on Tuesday June 21, 7.35 pm (8.35, 9.35 etc.) and I hope to have the film online in due time.

More links:
Hollandse Meesters in de 21ste eeuw
Interakt
Mediafonds

[photo by Michiel van Nieuwkerk]

About herman de vries in DWDD (Dutch Television)

2011-05-15T03:44:00.000-07:00

Thursday May 12, 2011
In the popular Dutch TV program De Wereld Draait Door host Matthijs van Nieuwkerk talked to Martijn Sanders (made the selection), Pieter Verhoeff (filmmaker) and Barbara Makkinga (filmmaker) about the project 'Hollandse Meesters'. Hollandse Meesters will be premiered on May 18 in the Kunsthal Rotterdam. In the program herman de vries, filmed by Barbara Makkinga, was at the center of the talk and a short part from the film was shown.

Stuttgart : herman de vries

2011-05-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

herman de vries
Galerie Müller-Roth, Stuttgart
May 6 - July 2, 2011
URL: www.galerie-mueller-roth.de/

The gallery presents work by herman de vries from different periods. Besides older work herman will also show a new work: 'change. es war einmal' consisting of 13 pages from a bygone Bible.

The Hague : Into the Woods

2011-05-02T00:27:00.000-07:00

Into the Woods
Galerie Ramakers, The Hague
May 1 - June 12, 2011
Exhibition curated by Warffemius
URL: www.galerieramakers.nl

Participating artists:
Armando
herman de vries
Maria Roosen
Giuseppe Penone
Hieke Luik
Vittorio Roerade
Sjoerd Buisman
Klaus Baumgärtner
Ossip
Guido Geelen
Zeger Reyers
Joncquil
Judith Maria Kleintjes
Reinier Lagendijk
Eelco Brand
Warffemius

Curator/artist Warffemius has compiled an exhibition of his favorite artists dealing with nature and especially trees and plants as a theme.

The plant world is a classical theme in art and for centuries seen as a source of beauty and inspiration. It is striking that artists are currently working on this theme intensely. They do this from many different points of view, as a metaphor for threats, enjoying a break in a rapidly changing world and to make us more aware of the importance of ecological balance and biodiversity. In addition to artists who are represented by Galerie Ramakers, there is work by artists outside the gallery. The exhibition brings together several generations of artists, some of which are already internationally established others less familiar. For some artists, as Sjoerd Buisman and herman de vries, nature is a main theme in their work, others, nature plays a less prominent role in their work.

From may 11 till May 15 a satellite exhibition of 'Into the Woods' will be shown at Art Amsterdam.

Courtesy Art Affairs, Caldic Collectie BV, Galerie Helga Hofman, Galerie Maurits van de Laar, Torch Gallery and Galerie Fons Welters.

Kemzeke : Gingko Sempervirens

2011-04-20T03:22:00.000-07:00

GINGKO SEMPERVIRENS
May 1 - October 30, 2011
Vernissage: Sunday May 1, 2011, 2 pm.
Verbeke Foundation, Kemzeke
The exhibition is curated by Geert Verbeke, Simon Delobel.

The exhibition 'Gingko Sempervirens' will provide a survey of projects by contemporary artists working with living plants.

Artists:
Will Beckers (NL)
Heath Bunting (UK)
Jean Daniel Berclaz (FR)
Sjoerd Buisman (NL)
Christoph De Boeck (B)
herman de vries (NL)
Anne Geene (NL)
Natalie Jeremijenko (US)
Reinier Lagendijk (NL)
Rich Pell (US)
Ingo Reize (D)
Alan Sonfist (US)
Martin uit den Bogaard (NL)
Adam Zaretsky (US).

Domain de Chaumont-sur-Loire : tapis de lavande

2011-04-05T00:22:00.001-07:00

Galerie Lydia Megert - "mise au point"

2011-04-04T00:21:00.000-07:00

Galerie Lydia Megert - "mise au point"
annex14
Raum für aktuelle Kunst
Suzanne B. Friedli / Elisabeth Gerber
Junkerngasse 14 / Postfach 586
CH-3000 Bern 8

The exhibition 'Gallery Lydia Megert - "mise au point"' provides a wonderful opportunity to rediscover early works, editions and artists' books by herman de vries, and other artists like René Zäch, Antonio Scaccabarozzi and Carlo Lischetti.
From 1973-1989 the Gallery Lydia Megert housed at the Münstergasse was one of the important addresses of contemporary art. She was exhibition place and trading center for ideas and projects, and an inspiring venue for a whole generation of creative artists.

Lydia Megert released in close contact with her artists, many editions and art books. The latter also represent the fundamental interest of this generation to an expanded concept of art in which - next to photography, voice, video, film, happenings and installations - the medium of the book was an important component.

In close contact with Lydia Megert Gallery annex14 made a selection from her program. It reflects the artistic standards of a generation and the atmosphere of an era.

URL: www.annex14.com/annex/.

Amsterdam - Temporary Stedelijk 2

2011-03-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

As of March 3, the Stedelijk Museum continues its temporary program with Temporary Stedelijk 2, which focuses on the renowned collection of modern and contemporary art and design.

A number of gallery spaces are devoted to individual artists and designers. Works by Carl Andre, Lothar Baumgarten, Barbara Bloom, herman de vries, among others, will be on view. herman has his own space presenting publications and editions from the collection of the Stedelijk Museum.

Photo's: Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, 2011
Courtesy Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (S. Héman).

Centre des livres d'artistes

2011-02-24T02:01:00.000-08:00

Publication : A Point on the Surface of the Earth

2011-02-04T02:53:00.000-08:00

Mel Gooding
A Point on the Surface of the Earth : two renaissance philosophers, a contemporary artist and a walk in the woods
The Rodd Lecture 2009
Published by the Institute of Humanities &Creative Arts, University of Worcester, Worcester in association with the Sidney Nolan Trust, 2011
ISBN 978-1-870850-04-9
24 p. (ill.)

Blog "to be all ways"

2010-12-26T05:21:00.000-08:00

A new blog is now available!
Cees de Boer started a weblog called "to be allways". The blog publishes philosophical essays on the art of herman de vries. It is work-in-progress preparing the publication of a book in the autumn of 2011. Main texts are in Dutch with summaries in English. The first posting concerns the recent publication of the photographs from the project "a random sample of the seeings of my beings" by the Centre des Livres d'Artistes.

herman de vries at Christie's

2010-12-01T00:46:00.000-08:00

Tuesday November 30, Christie's Amsterdam brought a work bij herman de vries to auction, 'random objectivation (V70 29b). The work is a painted wooden relief (120 x 120 cm.), executed in 1965 (although the number says 1970). The work belonged to an important German collection.
The work realized € 56,900.

Stuttgart - Künstlerbücher

2010-11-19T07:14:00.000-08:00

Künstlerbücher
Helmut Dirnaichner
Ulrich Erben
François Morellet
Karin Sander
Gavin Young
herman de vries

Galerie Mueller-Roth
Stuttgart
19 November 2010 - 29 January 2011

Thüngersheim - Pflanzenarsenale

2010-11-18T07:04:00.000-08:00

Pflanzenarsenale
Zeitgenössische Darstellungen von Medizinal-, Gift- und Drogenpflanzen
Forum Botanische Kunst
Thüngersheim am Main
31 October - 19 December 2010
Participating artists:
herman de vries
Peter Lippmann
Briony Morrow-Cribbs
Werner Henkel and others.

Berlin - Situation 51

2010-11-05T02:15:00.000-07:00

Situation 51
Bleibtreu Galerie, Berlin
10 November 2010 - 29 January 2011
Participating artists:
herman de vries
Dan Attoe
Joseph Beuys
Mark Dion
Mario Merz.

Publication : A little-known story ...

2010-11-04T01:46:00.000-07:00

A little-known story about a movement, a magazine, and the computer's arrival in art: New Tendencies and Bit International, 1961-1973
[bit international [Nove] tendencije. Computer und visuelle Forschung Zagreb 1961-1973. Exhibitions: Neue Galerie Graz am Landesmuseum Joanneum 28.04.-17.06.2007, ZKM, Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe 23.02.2008-18.01.2009]
ed. by Margit Rosen
Cambridge, Mass. : MIT, 2011
576 p.
ISBN: 978-0-262-51581-8
Order: ZKM Museumshop

This book documents a short but intense artistic experiment which took place in Yugoslavia fifty years ago, but whose impact has been felt far beyond that time and place. Ostensibly, the “little-known story” concerns the advent of computers in art and a movement which began in 1961 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia. It was through the activities of that movement, known as New Tendencies, and its supporting institution, the Galerija suvremene umjetnosti, that the “thinking machine” was adopted as an artistic tool and medium. Pursuing the idea of “art as visual research,” the New Tendencies movement proceeded along a path which led from Concrete and Constructivist art, Op art, and Kinetic art with its dynamic apparatuses to computer-generated graphics, film, and sculpture – from “programmed art” without computers to art generated or controlled by computers.

With their exhibitions and conferences on the theme of computers and visual research and the launch of the multilingual, groundbreaking magazine bit international in 1968, the New Tendencies transformed Zagreb, already one of the most vibrant artistic centers in Yugoslavia, into an international meeting place where artists, engineers, and scientists from both sides of the Iron Curtain gathered around the then-new technology. For a brief moment in time, Zagreb was the epicenter for exploring the aesthetic, scientific, and political potential of the computer. This volume, edited by Margit Rosen, includes new essays by Jerko Denegri, Darko Fritz, Margit Rosen, and Peter Weibel; a great number of essays and texts that were first published in New Tendencies exhibition catalogs and bit international magazine; and historic documents. Over 650 black-and-white and color illustrations testify to the wide and diverse panorama of artworks that were presented in the exhibitions, and introduce the movement’s protagonists. Many of the historic photographs, translations, and documents are presented here for the first time. The book presents the long overdue history of the New Tendencies experiment and its impact on the art of the twentieth century.

herman de vries at Sotheby's

2010-10-11T01:01:00.000-07:00

On Saturday 16 October 2010 a work by herman de vries will be brought to auction. Sotheby's London auctions v67-100 (stochastic shadows).
The work is signed and titled on the reverse; acrylic and wood construction; 79.5 by 80 by 7.2 cm. Executed in 1967.
Lot number 157 and the estimated price 10,000 - 15,000 GBP (Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 34,850 GBP)
The provenance is Plus-Kern Galerie, Ghent (acquired directly from the gallery by the present owner in 1970).

Publication : the seeings of my beings

2010-09-29T05:51:00.000-07:00

herman de vries
a random sample of the seeings of my beings
centre des livres d'artistes
1, place attane
F-87500 saint-yrieix-la-perche
http://www.cdla.info/
Edition 300 copies; price €50.
See also: cdla.info/en/publications.

at the root of these series of photographic studies lies the fact that it is not only what one thinks or does which constructs our "concept", our own conception of what life is, but also what one sees (hears, smells, feels). we are each in our own world. we are our own world.

it consisted of a study on the unity of man with his world. in order to objectify this research, certain points in time had been randomly chosen in advance. susanne took a photo of me while telling me "stop", this
prompted me to fix my gaze in a certain direction. she then gave me the camera and i photographed what was in my sight.

what you see here are the first series taken in 1973 and 1974 in and around our home in eschenau, but also in nepal. we made further series the following years during our travels, some in color (morocco, mauritania,
sénégal, india, nepal, thailand, laos). only a few small parts of these latter series have been published to this day.

1975 i called these studies "true philosophy"

2007 i wrote the following comment: it is impossible to describe processes by seperating them from each other. they are all linked, they are together one.

2008:
to be here
to be this
what i see
i am
i am this
i am here
i am
where i dwell

Amsterdam : eschenauer journal & text works

2010-09-19T04:24:00.000-07:00

eschenauer journal & text works
Art Affairs Gallery, Amsterdam
September 18, 2010 - October 16, 2010

the 'eschenauer journal' consists of 173 parts and all text works are recent, based on philosophical papers, amongst which 'homo ludens' by johan huizinga. the exhibition will be opened saturday september 18 in presence of the artist.

Some photos made at the opening of the exhibition, september 18. More photo's on flickr.

Berlin - es ist da

2010-07-19T00:19:00.000-07:00

herman de vries : es ist da
Mies van der Rohe Haus, Berlin.
Opening of the exhibition on Friday July 2, 2010. Duration: July 3-September 26, 2010. Dr Michael Fehr speaks at the opening.
The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue and an edition. The edition is a text-image 'silence' written with charcoal (35 x 45 cm.; numbered 1-10). The catalogue will be available in august.

herman de vries ranks 6 in Elsevier top-100

2010-06-22T00:43:00.000-07:00

This year the Dutch magazine Elsevier publishes for the fifth time the top 100 of the most successful Dutch artists. After several consecutive years on the first position, Marlene Dumas lost it to the video artist Guido van der Werve. herman de vries ranks 6.
[source: www.elsevier.nl/top-100-2010]

New Publication: ambulo ergo sum

2010-06-04T05:04:00.000-07:00

herman de vries
ambulo ergo sum
Publisher: Hybriden-Verlag, Berlin 2010
Series: mimas atlas # 10
Edition: 50, numbered and signed
Price: 50 Euro
Description: 16 x 21.5 cm.
Text by herman de vries, a dvd of a walk by herman de vries (in cooperation with susanne de vries, Marion Reissner and Merik de Vries), and a small work of art (roots in a cellophane bag).

herman de vries at Lempertz, Cologne

2010-05-27T00:40:00.000-07:00

On June 2 2010, a work by herman de vries will be brought to auction. That day Kunsthaus Lempertz auctions 'random objectivation V72-82S' (1972).
Description: white wood 100 x 100 cm. Signed, dated and titled V72-82S and with the artist's stamp on the reverse of the wood. At the left margin with insignificant irregularity from the application of paint.
Provenance: Galerie Ursula Wendtorf + Franz Swetec, Dusseldorf (with verso label); private property, Germany
Estimated price (Lot 947): EUR 35.000 - 40.000 (not sold).
Online catalogue: Auction 960 Contemporary Art June 2 2010.