German artist Jochem Hendricks (b. 1959) is known聽for his works that聽address complex moral and ethical issues. The objects he produces聽are聽often beautifully realised, yet beneath the surface lie elaborate聽backstories, which 鈥� at times – test the boundaries of legality.
German artist Jochem Hendricks (b. 1959) is known for聽his works that聽address complex moral and ethical issues. The objects he produces聽are聽often beautifully realised, yet beneath the surface lie elaborate聽backstories,聽which 鈥� at times – test the boundaries of legality.
This new exhibition spans Hendricks鈥� practice over the past decade聽and ranges from sculpture, film and photography to installations and聽painting. Works on show at the John Hansard Gallery include a number聽of聽鈥業ntercontinental paintings鈥�, realised through an international聽network of聽collaborators; synthesised diamonds, transformed from the聽concentrated聽essence of birds; a Mazda MX5 sports car which has become a聽鈥減art-time聽sculpture鈥� through the artist鈥檚 tax arrangements; a 25 mile-long聽human hair,聽glued from individual strands; photographs from a 1970s archive of聽police聽investigations, printed by the former wife of terrorist Carlos the聽Jackal; and a聽series of Eye Drawings produced through the eye movements of the聽artist.
At John Hansard Gallery Central visitors can聽view the visceral film installation聽Front Windows, 2008-9, in which 200 windows of an old building in聽the聽centre of Frankfurt are smashed from within, at changing rhythms and聽speeds. Hendricks鈥� work explores the value and meaning of labour,聽truth and storytelling, ethics and the role of the artist. By turns聽playful,聽serious, provocative and sensitive, the artist asks: how can art聽allow us to聽understand 鈥� and question – our place in the world?
This new exhibition is organised in collaboration with Museum Haus聽Konstruktiv, Z眉rich and The New Art Gallery, Walsall, and is聽accompanied by聽a fully-illustrated catalogue, published by Distanz Verlag. Jochem聽Hendricks聽is on show across both John Hansard Gallery sites 鈥� our main聽Gallery on the聽University of Southampton鈥檚 Highfield Campus, and our temporary聽city聽centre space John Hansard Gallery Central (9 Civic Centre Road).