Chant van Lieshout: Poort der Verwondering / Dash,Squash,Splash

Gate of Wonder

During an evening bike ride through Mariëndaal, an estate in Oosterbeek, I come across an old dome building hidden among the trees. The sun stands low and creates a beautiful scene of light rays and long-reaching shadows. There, in a lighted piece, among the trees, I find the most beautiful branch I have ever seen. I put it in my bottle holder and decide that I will make a mold out of it. My bike ride follows along trees, past fields, until I suddenly arrive at a sunflower field. The sun in my back, the field with all the flowers facing the sun, the flowers, which seem to be looking at me exactly. I let out a big sigh, after which I take a deep breath. The smell of leaves, of moss, of soft warm sunlight creeps into my nose. I would love to be a sunflower for a day.

A few years later I read 'the pear song' by Joost Oomen which says something about beets that ring and a sidewalk tile that does less, ringing in this sense as a kind of happiness energy radiates. Then a sunflower must ring very loudly I think, which was the starting point for the Sinderende Zonnebloemen exhibition. The Gate of Wonder was an ode to the sunflower within this installation, consisting of several sculptures.

Dash, Squash, Splash

In a world where water quality continues to deteriorate and all kinds of (water) insects die out, Chant van Lieshout tries to put these underestimated creatures on a pedestal with his work. One of the most underrated and unloved insects: 'the mosquito' therefore has a special place in its heart and work. In the 4 meter high work 'Dash, Squash, Splash' you see a large hand with a pool of blood in the middle in which a mosquito is hidden, the mosquito is pressed flat against the window of the Kunsttorentje in Almelo, for which the work was originally made. The work is not completely tragic because the mosquito smiles kindly at the viewer.

ᘔOᑎᑎEᗷᒪOEᗰ, ᗰᑌG, KᑎOOᑭ, ᗰEEEᖇKOET, ᗰOᑎOᗷᒪOᑕ ᔕTOEᒪ. It is often the small, everyday, misunderstood or incomprehensible things that inspire Chant van Lieshout (1994, Geldrop, NL) the most. It is therefore no surprise that insects, common but rarely loved, play a central role in the work of this artist. Zooming in on the small worlds in which they live also offers an escape from the daily - sometimes rather overwhelming - reality. Other small worlds that the artist likes to be a part of, such as the queer community or fetish world, are also covered in the work and grow with a personal journey into (gender) expression and sexuality. The sculptures and installations - often elaborated in ceramics, epoxy resin, textiles and collected objects - are based on personal and location-specific stories and layered with poetic humor, inviting wonder. The bright colors and toy elements of the often figurative work transport the viewer to another, almost magical reality, in which childish naivety, pleasure and absurdity come together. Playing with discomfort, the work exposes vulnerabilities and gives a voice to unheard of or unwanted creatures. The outcast is placed on a pedestal in a fantasy world, which celebrates diversity.