Maaskade 92a Tamboerstraat: 9. Phone: (0) (0)

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1 Marjan Laaper Studio: Maaskade 92a Tamboerstraat: NE, Rotterdam 3034PT, Rotterdam The Netherlands The Netherlands Phone: (0) (0) marjanlaaper@hetnet.nl Marjan Laaper (1971) In my work I use video, film, photography and electronic equipment. One could describe it as sculptural; by making site- specific installations and projections, the environment can become a significant component of the work. The illusory simplicity and stillness of the video projections hint towards photography. General human experiences, human thinking, observation, and the experience of every day life are starting points for my work. Often there is a tension between contradictory subjects and symbols like beauty and danger, the immaterial and the transitory trust and alarm. Movement and change are the ruling principles of life. In my work I explore the relationship each of us has with these universal forces as individuals. Trying to understand human thinking and behaviour continually provides me with starting points. The work does not give clear answers, but shows recognisable elements that generate questions. Work description, documentation (selection) 01. Vondelpark From the 9 th of March until the first of April 2001 a light projection was shown on an 8 meter high screen at the Vondelpark in Amsterdam. At the edge of a large pool you could see a green image of the park at night, resembling something seen through night- vision goggles: so that details that normally cannot be seen become visible. On and between the trees you can see all kinds of shadows. Mysterious dark spots eventually resolve themselves into a shadow play. Finally you can see what caused these shadows: a deer trying to find his way through the trees.

2 02. This video shows two owls that sit very close to each other. Because their backs are leaning towards each other it looks as if the form the shape of a heart together. They sit very still but watch their surrounding very closely. They almost look like living icons. 03. Bystander Intervention A polar bear is resting his head on a stone wall. Next to his head a small bird, a wren, has landed. Is the bird asking for attention or is it concerned with the sleeping bear? What is going on with this animal that is supposed to be the symbol of strength. Every once in a while the bear moves his lips or opens his eye as if it reacts to the birds twittering. The spectator witnesses this very special moment. One would love to know about the communication between the two. The title of the work is a term used in psychology that refers to bystanders intervening (or not) in cases of emergency.

3 04. The Butterfly Effect Two butterflies have just landed on green leaves. In the background a dark threatening sound is heard. Suddenly the butterflies start moving their wings and the sound escalates to thunder. The butterfly wings move a-synchronically, a ballet of moving wings. Are the butterflies fighting or dancing? Is it a love ritual? Technically, The Butterfly Effect is a sensitive dependence in initial conditions or deterministic chaos. The metaphor here proves that small incidents cause large effects. 05. Tree of life This video installation shows two projections on the back wall of the space and one small television screen. The television shows a big old tree in a natural setting. The two projections are zoomed onto the leaves so that water-drops become visible on the leaves. In the left projection the face of a child can be seen, it looks at the spectator. The right projection shows several different leaves with different parts of human history. Starting-point of the work is the witness of the human history by a tree. Because of its long life it can follow the life cycle of many generations.

4 06. Baby This work was projected in the city centre of Schiedam, the Netherlands. The face of a two and a half months old baby can be seen. The image is zoomed in and slowed down so the different expressions of the baby become much more visible and dramatic. The expressions range from neutral, happiness, and pain to complete rest. Because the video was projected in a public area where people pass by, A visual interaction between the baby expressions and the people passing by starts to exist. 07. Plants, 2007/ 2008 These video projections show a close up of a poppy and a thistle. At first sight, these stills are not moving, but after a while you see they are growing towards the light, They are inhabited by insects as the stern carries the weight of the bud. They are slightly moving, contemporary variations of a flower still- life that because of the Clair obscure light reminds us of 16 th and 17 th century painting. As in the traditional flower still life the symbolic meaning is obvious, (beauty, purity, mortality). The poppy is a very fragile flower that withers immediately after it s picked. At the same time it is a pioneers plant with seeds able to germinate years later preferably in new soil.

5 08. Whispering poplar 2007/2008 This video installation is a double projection with sound. You see branches with leaves of the rattle poplar moving in de wind. The sound made by the leaves comes en goes forming an acoustic composite. In the olden days it was said the poplar was a speaking tree able to foretell the future.

6 09. Dancing dust to dust 2007/2008 Dancing dust to dust is a double video projection. Zoomed in on a cumulus of organic matter, you hear the music of E. Bernstein, New beginnings.the particles are moving, transforming like a microorganism, on the sound of the music. Because of the vibrant colours it seems all very cheerful in spite of the unfolding destruction and transformation. The title combines romantic love and the inevitable fate of change. 10. The Raft is a triple video projection. On the left a boat floats away from a child that hangs on a piece of rope that hangs above the water. From the moment the boat leaves the child it looks like there is no way back. Some children on the raft try to bring the boat back. Sometimes others occupy them or they decide to play along with the other children. Mutual dependency, joy but also frustration can be seen in a chaotic play. A wide spectrum of human behaviour becomes visible. Acts that turnover seamless from playing into romping, fighting, surviving, losing, abandoning, struggling and vanquishing. Sometimes heroic acts take place, when small children go into the water to push the raft back to the other side where the child is waiting for help. Because the child on the left is in need of help, the acts of the other children become moral dilemmas. What do the children chose to do? Will they act heroic or do they avoid the situation? Water is often a symbol of the big unknown, full of secrets. During their journey the children have to make many choices, that makes them aware of their strong and weak sides. Characteristics like egoism, laziness, cowardice, and disinterest, but also pride, courage, and heroism are being challenged. The struggle leads to moral conflicts and strong human emotions.

7 11. Public Art Commission, Schiedam. Title: Reflection. 3 faces with different ages ranging from 5, 50 and 80 years of age change into each other very 11 minutes.

8 Project Title, and 25-word synopsis of project Klipspringer A vertical video projection of an antelope can be seen. The animal looks like a statue since it does not move but just looks at the viewer in the room. You can see that he is alive because you can see him breathe and sometimes he moves his nose. The white background gives the whole scene something magical.

9 MARJAN LAAPER (1971) marjanlaaper.com Selected Biography Educational Background/ residencies: Academie Beeldende Kunst, Rotterdam NL 1993 Maryland College of Art, Baltimore USA Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunst, Amsterdam NL 1997 Skowhegan Artists in residence, Maine, USA 2001 Sapporo Artist in residence Program, Japan Lectures Rijksakademy Of Visual Art Amsterdam, 1997 Willem de Kooning Academy, 1998 Praha studio space, Sapporo Japan, 2001 Kosen University, Sapporo Japan, 2001 Contemporary Art Institute, Sapporo Japan, 2001 Publications Museum Sculptures at sea, Scheveningen The Best of , Willem de Kooning academy Trafo Gallery Boedapest, True dream of anyone, 2000 Galerie van Wijngaarden Hakkens 10 x 10 A public space odyssey, AFK 2001 Toyohira River Girl, S-AIR Japan 2001 S-Air catalogue Sapporo Japan 2001 Kunst op haagse scholen, Kunst en Bedriijf 2002 Between the waterfronts catalogue 2002 De Sleutel ligt onder de mat, 2003 Bestiae animatiae, Cobra Museum 2004 Guest studio s Daglicht/beeldenstorm 2004 S-Air catalogue Sapporo Japan Kunstweekboek Arco catalogue 2007 MKgalerie brochure 2010 Commisions 16mm film Stichting unica 1996 Video-object, J.W. Schrofer Video projection, Museum Beelden aan Zee Art in public space, 1999 Stopera Photo/video object, Sanders Collection 2000 Video object, dress, Textile Museum 2000 Vondelpark projection, Amsterdam 2001 Commission modelkamer, Den Hague 2001 Sociale Verzekeringsbank 2001 City of Zeist 2002 Doek foundation, 2004 Amste Gallery Milan 2004 Final sketch Stadshart 2006 City of Heerhugowaard, 2007 Final Commission Rijksgebouwendienst CVOM 2008/2009 Selection public art commission Alkmaar 2010 / 2011

10 HRO Art Collection, videoinstallation cocoon 2011 Exhibitions 2011 Winterlicht, Public art project, NL Galerie Modul 3, Dresden, DLD Pixilerations V8 Rhode Island, USA Nord art 2011,Germany Directors Lounge, Berlin DLD Galerie Albus Lux,NL Galerie Hommes, Rotterdam 2010 Public art project, video installation at park: De plantage. Tenderpixel Gallery, London, England Mk galerie, New work, Rotterdam MK galerie, group show, Berlin and Rotterdam 2009 Rijksgebouwendienst, CVOM Utrecht, NL Pand Paulus, Schiedam, NL 2008 Louise Blouin Foundation, London, England Ron Mandos Gallery, Amsterdam Arts House/Australian Centre for the Moving Image (Melbourne) Campbell town Performing Arts Centre (Sydney) Performance Carriageworks/ The Studio SOH (Sydney) Salamanca Arts Centre (Hobart) Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts/Edith Cowan University Perth Noosa Long weekend (Noosa) Northern Rivers Performing Arts - NORPA (Lismore) Adelaide Antistatic, SA The Body Festival (Christchurch, New Zealand) Amsterdam Cinedans Cinedans on tour, NL 2007 Mk galerie, Rotterdam NL Galerie van Wijngaarden Hakkens, A dam NL MK galerie Berlijn, Stock expo Germany Arco Madrid, MK galerie, Spain 2006 Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, NL Gil & Moti Homegallery, Rotterdam NL Pavillon Noir, Aix-en provence, France Frac Marseille, France Photo London England Zeithaus Museum Wolfsburg, Germany Miart, Milan Art fair Italy Urban Explorer Festival, Dordrecht NL Nederland s Textile museum NL Amste Arte Contemporanea, Lissone (MI) Italy Bologna art fair, Italy 2005 Monza New media Festival, Italy Mk galerie, Rotterdam NL Artforum Berlin, Germany Stichting Doek 2005, Schiedam NL Ram foundation, Rotterdam NL De Krabbedans, Eindhoven NL MiArt Fair, Amste Gallery Milan Italy Art fair Rotterdam NL

11 Bologna Art Fair, Amste Gallery Italy 2004 Artfair Loop, Barcelona Spain Artfair Keulen, Germany St. Doek, Schiedam NL Art forum Berlin, Germany Beeldenstorm residency, Eindhoven NL Duende 20 year, Rotterdam NL Artfair Amsterdam NL Museum Stadsgallery Heerlen NL Cobra Museum, Amstelveen NL Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Japan Mkgallerie.nl, Rotterdam NL 2003 Kunstrai 2003 Amsterdam, Nominated KDR Award 2003 NL Gallery Adlergasse Dresden, Germany Galerie van Wijngaarden/Hakkens Amsterdam, NL Hedah Film festival Maastricht, NL 2002 Between the Waterfronts, Las Palmas Rotterdam, NL Spaarnestad photo archive Haarlem, NL Sapporo Snow festival 2002, Japan Nederlands Textiel Museum Tilburg, NL 2001 Contemporary Art Institute Sapporo, Japan Arti et Amicitiae Amsterdam, NL MK Expositieruimte Rotterdam, NL Vondelpark Amsterdam, NL Triennale Internationale d arts de Tournai, Belgium x de Afstand Zaltbommel, NL Galerie van Wijngaarden, NL Kunstvereniging Diepenheim, NL 4 th Global Attic Film Festival Rotterdam, NL Kunstrai 2000 Amsterdam, NL Trafo Gallery Budapest, Hungary 1999 Het Consortium Amsterdam, NL Stopera Amsterdam, NL 1998 MK Expositieruimte Rotterdam NL David Beitzel Gallery New York, USA The Best of, Kunsthal Rotterdam, NL Kunsthuis 13 Velp, NL Clash, Kunsthal Rotterdam, NL Duende Rotterdam, NL Montevideo/ TBA Amsterdam, NL 1997 Museum Beelden aan Zee Den Haag, NL Schröder Stichting Den Haag, NL Trapdoor, MK Expositieruimte, NL Crawlspace Rotterdam, NL