All posts of RobCologne

The only Constant is Change

The only Constant is Change Contemporary life is characterized by uncertainty and complexity. The feeling that we are living in a shifting reality is becoming more and more apparent; change is not only an idea, but rather felt on many levels. Nothing is solid, all is in movement and most importantly – all is intrinsically […]

Nelleke Beltjens by Rollin Beamish

Can the sleeper awaken? In characteristic fashion, Dutch artist Nelleke Beltjens, in the title of her new exhibition, “I dreamt I was sleeping”, casts a metaphorical, even narrative veil over work that might at first appear completely non-objective. The phrase suggests a shifting viewpoint – a parallax effect – evoking a mutation of perception perhaps reminiscent of a topological deformation. Indeed, the artist consistently expresses interest in the notion of the immanent becoming of worlds, and reflects through her work upon emergent possibilities, be they personal, social or ecological. However, the work itself is produced through formal strategies that mirror the ambiguities of this (Deleuzian) becoming, ‘infecting’ it, so to speak, with the contradictions of the (Hegelian) cut. This reminds one perhaps of the trauma of human agency; the ability and necessity to decide.

Canary in a Coal Mine

It often begins with a presence that is simultaneously an absence. Using the edge of a piece of scratch paper as a guide, a fragmented line is produced by making a series of short marks in ink from the scratch paper onto the work surface. This process is repeated, forming more lines that are networked into increasingly dense and complex aggregates. It is noteworthy that at least half of the material basis for these aggregate forms is never seen and thus hangs over the work, a specter felt through the weight of its absence. It is an ‚externality‘, as it were, that is easily ignored, though to do so is to risk overlooking perhaps the most compelling aspects of the work while glossing over the many questions evoked by this tension.

What does it mean to orient oneself in drawing?

Remarks on the drawings of Nelleke Beltjens by Peter Lodermeyer. I. In the proper meaning of the word, to orient oneself means to use a given direction (when we divide the horizon into four of them) in order to find the others—literally to find the sunrise. Now if I see the sun in the sky and I know it is now midday, then I know how to find south, west, north, and east. Immanuel Kant, What does it mean to orient oneself in thinking?1 The aspirations are high: “I am practicing life, and my own work is a great ‘guide’ while everything is in continuous movement. [...] My work teaches me. It is ahead of me in a way. It brings me to the next step, a ‚higher’ level, makes me grow.”2 This statement by Nelleke Beltjens in an interview of 2009 suggests an astonishing trust in the power of art, even though she does not espouse the avant-garde utopia of the merging of art and life (let alone the simple understanding of art as a mere reflex of life). As surprising as the statement may sound, it can hardly surprise us that it refers to drawing, since this genre of art has always been a particularly suitable medium of orientation. A person looking for orientation in order to “take the next step”, regardless of the field of creativity, will have a preference for the medium of drawing. With draughtsman’s means, we satisfy ourselves concerning the proportions of an object to be designed, the structure of a building, the cut of a piece of clothing, the dance steps of choreography …
news_2018_06_29 Nelleke Beltjens

Walking the Line

Galerie Martin Kudlek Walking the Line VIII with Nelleke Beltjens, Johan de Wilde, German Stegmaier opening Thursday, July 05, 2018, 19-22h exhibition end August 11, 2018 opening hours wed -Fri 12-18h + Sat 12-16 + by appointment Galerie Martin Kudlek Schaafenstrasse 25 50676 Cologne Germany art@kudlek.com phone: +49 221 / 72 96 67 fax: +49 […]
News Nelleke Beltjens

In neuen Räumen

Opening group show at Galerie Christian Lethert and the opening of the new gallery space. Antwerpener Str. 52, 50672 Cologne, Germany Opening: October 6, 5:00 p.m.
News Nelleke Beltjens

(It) Works on Paper (II)

opening on Sunday June 25th, 3–6 pm. Participating artists: Nelleke Beltjens (NL) Mario De Brabandere (BE) Arpaïs Du Bois (BE) José Heerkens (NL) Agnes Maes (BE) Katja Mater (NL) Jeff McMillan (USA) Peter Morrens (BE) Thomas Müller (DE) Ronald Noorman (NL) German Stegmaier (DE) Allyson Strafella (USA) Frank Van Hiel (BE) Marijn van Kreij (NL) […]

FLOWS AND INTERRUPTIONS

FLOWS AND INTERRUPTIONS2 person show, Nelleke Beltjens and Alexandra RoozenGalerie Roger Katwijk, Amsterdam (NL)opening on February 19, 4-6 p.m.Galerie Roger KatwijkPrinsengracht 7371017 JX Amsterdam

Flows and Interruptions

Alexandra Roozen and Nelleke Beltjens Pencil on paper – this drawing technique, overall one of the simplest, clearest, and oldest, lies at the core of the work of Andrea Roozen. Drawing with pencil is a constant source of wonderment for this artist, and is consequently time and again the object of artistic experimentation. Thus, in […]

Worlds Within

Galerie Christian Lethert Nelleke Beltjens | Natascha Schmitten Wolrds Within
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