24.09 — 12.11 2011

SWEATBOXING 2 — Daan Botlek, Nare Eloyan, Wayne Horse, Gerben Meinders, Abner Preis, Charlotte Schleiffert, Radek Szlaga, Koen Taselaar, Aleksandra Waliszewska

 
Sweatboxing II is a collaborative exhibition featuring young artists working in The Netherlands and Poland who are represented by the LETO Gallery and Showroom MAMA. Sweatboxing II is the second episode of the critically acclaimed Sweatboxing, an international group exhibition curated by Gerben Willers from Showroom MAMA (2 April - 29 May 2011). The Sweatboxing exhibitions are based on the principles of animation. Something associated with movement, yet paradoxically made up of twenty-four consecutive still images per second. Contrasting the staccato, repetitive sequences of the actual frame-rate of animation, the exhibition presents itself as an animation of selected still pictures: the movement taking place as the viewer navigates the exhibition space.The title Sweatboxing comes from Walt Disney Studio's "sweatbox". Disney was the first animation studio to make extensive use of preparatory sketches for its animations and this is evident in the final results. The sweatbox was a small projection room where rough footage was screened for Disney's approval. The room was just big enough to sit the animators, studio bosses and Walt Disney himself.For Sweatboxing II, Gerben Willers has collaborated with Marta Kolakowska, the director of LETO Gallery. The participating Dutch artists are Nare Eloyan (NL, 1988), Gerben Meinders (NL, 1983), Koen Taselaar (NL, 1986), Willehad Eilers (aka Wayne Horse) (D/NL, 1981) and Abner Preis (USA/NL). Works of the internationally renowned artist Charlotte Schleiffert (NL, 1976) shall accompany the presentation of these younger artists. Polish artists include Radek Szlaga (PL, 1979) and Aleksandra Waliszewska (PL, 1976).

 
MAMA exists for more than twelve years now and has turned into a much discussed and influential platform offering an intractable, kaleidoscopic view on contemporary visual culture to be seen and experienced by a broad audience. MAMA soon developed into an expert in the field of youth- and contemporary visual culture and found itself at the foundation of an active development in Dutch art, aimed at participation. The original target group aged 16 - 26, has been active in the organization from the beginning. In 2005 / 2006 MAMA developed two educational courses intended to develop talent: MAMA Rookies, a course for auxiliary jobs in the cultural field and Rookies MA (formerly Mister Miyagi Curating Tomorrow), aimed at youth organizing and compiling exhibitions independently.

 
During the vernissage "Justin Iloveu" will show a new collection designed exclusively for the opening of the exhibition Sweatboxing II. The tunics and t-shirts designed by Justin are decorated with images taken from Aleksandra Waliszewska's works. The collection includes a Women's and a Men's line.

 
With support: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands