Talk between: Liesbeth Bik and Jos van der Pol (NL) with Leila Topić (HR)

in cooperation with the discursive program of the doctoral study of Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb

In conversation with Leila Topić from MSU Zagreb, Bik Van der Pol will try to touch on the most important topics that have marked their artistic practice so far. Through their practice, they strive to articulate and understand how art can create space for speculation and imagination within the public space. This includes forms of mediation through which the public is not only defined, but also created. By establishing the conditions for the encounter, Bik Van der Pol’s work process enables the continuous reconfiguration of place, history and public. Their practice is site-specific and collaborative and includes publishing, writing and curating. They consider dialogue as a mode of transmission, where the element of “passing through” is vital, because it is temporal and implies action and the development of new forms of discourse. Their practice is both the initiator and the result of this approach. Bik Van der Pol investigate the ways in which human activity in the globalized age has a direct impact on (ecological) systems. They are interested in the potential of the choir in the present. It is important to note that the Greek chorus was not composed of actors – instead, (male) citizens were chosen to represent the city. Their role was to speak on behalf of past and future generations of the city; “When they spoke about what the public already recognized, they were grandfathers. When they expressed what the public felt but could not articulate, they were unborn.”

Artists Liesbeth Bik and Jos Van der Pol (NL) work together as Bik Van der Pol since 1995, they have been working. They live and work in Rotterdam, Netherlands (www.bikvanderpol.net). Through their practice Bik Van der Pol aim to articulate and understand how art can produce a public sphere and space for speculation and imagination. This includes forms of mediation through which publicness is not only defined but also created. Their work follows from research of how to activate situations to create a platform for exchange and experience of different knowledges. Bik Van der Pol’s mode of working consists of setting up the conditions for encounter, where they develop a process of working that allows for continuous reconfigurations of places, histories, and publics. Their practice is site-specific and collaborative, with dialogue as a mode of transfer; a “passing through”, understood in its etymological meaning of “a speech across or between two or more people, out of which may emerge new understandings”. In fact, they consider the element of “passing through” as vital. It is temporal and implies action and the development of new forms of discourse. Their practice is both instigator and result of this method. They have exhibited their work at numerous venues, as well as participated in biennials such as Gwangju, Istanbul, Jakarta, and Sao Paulo Biennale. Recent and current projects include Paad Bienal 2024 Abi Dabhi (UAE), a research residency project at School of Casablanca (2021–23), Casablanca (Marocco), a project in collaboration with Volt, Bergen (Norway), Take Part (2018–20), at SFMOMA and Public Libraries, San Francisco (USA), and Far Too Many Stories To Fit Into So Small A Box, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw (Poland) (2019-20). Bik Van der Pol were co-initiators of artist-run space Duende existing from 1984-2013, where they organised many activities such as artist in residence programs, talks, screenings and exhibition projects, they were course directors of The School of Missing Studies – a temporary masters programme at Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam (2013–15), and they are advisors at the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht. Liesbeth is a core-tutor at Piet Zwart Institute (Rotterdam), and a member, and currently chair, of the Akademie van Kunsten/Academy of Arts, that is part of the Dutch Royal Academy of Science (KNAW).

 

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Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2022-COOP. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. [Project number: 101100309 ]

The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.