28 Jan 2011

Pieter Lemmens at Nieuw Dakota, Amsterdam

'Quality, Politics and Society: the masterpieces of Pieter Lemmens'
Opening on the 23rd of January - closing and auction on the 6th of March 2011

QUALITY, POLITICS and SOCIETY
Sunday 23 January – Sunday 6 March 2011

Three years have passed since Pieter Lemmens announced his imaginary solo exhibition in the Stedelijk Museum of Amsterdam through a major poster campaign. Now Nieuw Dakota presents the first overview of the ironic and engaged art of this elusive artist.
The impressive canvases of Lemmens consist mainly of written texts. Through these texts Lemmens attempts to reflect on the function of ideology, religion, politics, art and economy in our society. The fictitious business QP&S (Quality, Politics and Society) plays an important role in these reflections. Beside this leading role of subject-matter, the formal qualities of the canvases are powerful: the typical handwriting, the intersecting spots and shapes and the materiality of the canvas, the paint and epoxy, provide Lemmens's puzzling works with an unexpected but overwhelming aesthetic quality.

While the exhibition is on view, Lemmens will work on a floor drawing to mutually connect the Masterpieces. Hereby a total art work will be developed; perhaps this will be the ultimate Masterpiece. Lemmens will frequently work during opening hours on completing his floor drawing. His intention is to actively involve the visitors in his creative process in order to create a dialogue between his art, the visitors and himself. Thus the public will very directly influence matter and form of his floor drawing.

During the closing of the exhibition, on the 6th of March, de floor drawing will be divided into pieces and auctioned. This will be an opportunity for our visitors to acquire a fragment of a real Masterpiece.

The exhibition is made possible by art lovers and collectors of the art works of Pieter Lemmens who bought 'shares' in the business of Quality, Politics and Society. These shares consist of a unique certificate produced by Lemmens, a small painting and a floor piece. The shares are available at Nieuw Dakota.


Nieuw Dakota is a new, international space for contemporary art in Amsterdam. Nieuw Dakota's aim is to bring together important players in the artworld such as galleries, art institutions, collectors, curators and artists through changing exhibitions and events for the general public. Nieuw Dakota provides a platform for new collaborations in order to let the visual art scene in the Netherlands flourish.

www.nieuwdakota.com
www.pieterlemmens.com