Works by Madeleine Berkhemer in public space
Legshow II
Legshow is a variation of a previous work by Berkhemer on view during the Contemporary Art Biannial in Anglet on the Basque shore. It is based on the principle of a folding screen. Whereas this object is normally intended for dressing without being seen, you can look through these legs. Berkhemer is playing a game with voyeurism here, seeing and being seen.
The work was made to fit on the – at the moment- low wall of the Arminius Church, on the occasion of a debate evening during which Christian Louboutin discussed Berkhemer’s work and their long-term collaboration. Currently, the more traditional fence of the Arminius Church has been put back in place. After the exhibition in the Kunsthal, the work will be given a more definitive place in the Rotterdam public space.
Lost Pearl
Lost Pearl is the first work Berkhemer created for the public space. It is a necklace on a gigantic scale, accompanied by an opened oyster. The whole thing has an enchanted quality, which Berkhemer described as ‘sculptural femininity’. The necklace is monumental in both size and material, but the most important thing is that it can also be used by children as a piece of play equipment for climbing on and into. This work is located in Het Park, at walking distance from the Kunsthal.
Parabola Blues
Parabola Blues was designed for the courtyard garden of the apartment building that was realised in the former prison on the Noordsingel. For this sculpture two of the cast-iron prison stairs were repurposed, just like the prison they originated from. Inspired by Naum Gabo’s sculpture on the Coolsingel, Berkhemer used very thin golden threads to connect the heavy stairs to each other. This gives them a sky-reaching, visual lightness that seems to alleviate the heaviness of the stairs and their history.
