The work of Maaike Meindertsma (Leeuwarden, 1999) in the Bierumer School and at the festival Terug naar het begin is the result of a month-long residency. Her project bridges a passion for gymnastics, performance art and site-specific installations.
“The body is central to my work. This stems from my fascination with sports, and I apply it in my work in relation to the environment. I have been doing gymnastics for fifteen years and the cooperation and sometimes contrast between body and brain is very important. This is a recurring subject in my art practice. I record my performances and integrate them into audiovisual installations. The performances function as interventions in landscape and environment. My approach is intuitive, but research plays a crucial role. I was recently awarded the Reisma van den Burg Stipendium. I use that budget for my research in which I look, among other things, at how society treats people based on how their bodies look or function.
My approach is intuitive, but research plays a crucial role.
My project at the Bierumer School focuses on how the body can fade into the background in order to experience the world around us more mentally and less physically. During my residency period I created an audiovisual installation in the attic of the Bierumer School, which is an important part of the project. This installation serves as a framework to bring my different works together and add an extra layer to the whole. Instead of the images continuing to exist separately, they enter into a relationship with each other and thus a new meaning is created.”
The exhibition SHORTCUT | Maaike Meindertsma can be seen in the Bierumer School until May 26, 2024, and is part of festival Terug naar het begin, which takes place from May 24 to 26, 2024.
Text: Dinnis van Dijken
Photo: Christopher Smith