In October 2021 Readytex Art Gallery kicks-off an exciting year-long art project and collaboration with Curator-in-Residence Miguel Keerveld. The first production, opening on Friday October 8th, 2021, is the exhibition LUNAR, which then signals the start of the larger project titled ALAKONDRE: A space in time. LUNAR sets the stage with a series of interesting conceptual art installations by the artists Kurt Nahar, Sri Irodikromo, Sunil Puljhun and Shaundell Horton. A special detail of the entire project is that it will also include work of several ‘Local Masters’. LUNAR will showcase artworks by Erwin de Vries and Lillian Abegg.
Miguel Keerveld’s residency and the project at the gallery are part of his DAS Graduate School research program at the Amsterdam University of the Arts. They also allow him to gain valuable experience on his path towards becoming a recognized art curator. For Readytex Art Gallery the project fulfills a need to explore new possibilities and to take her artistic productions to a higher level with curatorial concepts that trigger and challenge both the viewer and the artist. During the project, running from November 2021 until November 2022, Miguel will work with a continually rotating group of artists and several assigned co-curators. In an intense process they will discuss and research the deeper nuances of identification, inclusion and diversity, and the possible forms of curatorship in the context of Suriname. According to Miguel: “The project title ALAKONDRE: a space in time, is used in a performative sense and refers to a fusion of the past, the present and the future; an event that symbolically disassembles a space of power and reassembles it as a space of strength”.
It all begins with LUNAR, an exhibition/art manifestation that incorporates symbolical and mystical objects and elements related to the strength of the feminine, cosmology, numerology, and a deep and meaningful exploration into spirituality and community. In a joint installation, Kurt Nahar and Sri Irodikromo reflect on the spirituality and offering rituals of various Caribbean cultures. “The countless similarities in elements, actions and traditions, many of them inspired by the Yoruba religion of our African ancestors, are a great source of inspiration for me”, says Kurt Nahar. Sri Irodikromo is driven mostly by Javanese Jaran Kepang rituals and traditions, and uses them to create visual elements that add to the mystical character of the artwork. For his installation, Sunil Puljhun takes his inspiration from the development of rituals and traditions observed during meals at important occasions in Hindu culture, and Shaundell Horton displays yet a different view on spirituality with an installation portraying the Tree of life. The exhibition is rounded out with other particularly appropriate artworks by these artists.
LUNAR is on display in Readytex Art Gallery from Friday October 8th thru Saturday October 30th 2021. Due to the COVID-19-restrictions there will be no opening reception. Guests are welcome during our regular opening hours from Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, and on Saturday from 8:30 am – 1:30 pm, while observing all the COVID-19-protocols. There will be guided viewing sessions for small groups on Saturdays, between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm. Advance registration is required and can be done at info@readytexartgallery.com.
