GEERT MUL
MATCHMAKER
25 years of media art
At Dortmunder U, Dortmund Germany 2017
Im Oberlichtsaal zeigt der niederländische Künstler Geert Mul (Jahrgang 1965) unter dem Titel „Match Maker“ eine Retrospektive seines Werks. Seit 25 Jahren entwickelt Mul interaktive, audio-visuelle Installationen u.a. für Festivals und Museen. In seinen Arbeiten macht Geert Mul Archive und damit Daten für die Besucher erfahrbar. Dabei arbeitet er mit ähnlichen Methoden wie Suchmaschinen – und nennt seine Installationen „Findemaschinen“. Die Ausstellung war bereits mit großem Erfolg im Stedeljik Museum Schiedam zu sehen.
The Dortmunder-U presents a spectacular retrospective of the work of Geert Mul (1965). Over the past 25 years, this pioneer of media art has developed a unique and all-around oeuvre of interactive audiovisual and photographic installations.
Arrangement
In the same way a poet writes poetry with words, Mul uses images to create visual poetry. He borrows them from the Internet, for example, but to Mul they have no particular meaning. It is only when a composition emerges that they come to life. This is what makes arrangement and rearrangement his major themes. But not just to him: everyone is constantly flooded with information and images. Consequently, his work evokes associations with recognizable themes and developments.
The Library of Babel
Geert Mul – Match Maker, 25 years of media art comprises several works including many installations from the past 20 years. For The Library of Babel (2003), Mul drew his inspiration from the story by Jorge Luis Borges of the same name, which made a profound impression on Mul when he was 18. It is remarkable that – as early as 1941 – the Argentine writer/poet painted a picture of a world similar to our current information era. Everything can be found online, but what is usable and reliable? In The Library of Babel, visitors cause arrangements simply by walking on/in the work of art.
Middle East
Media have focused on the Middle East for decades, which is reflected in Mul’s oeuvre. It is the case in Match_of_the_Day (2005), for example, for which the computer randomly selected images of TV stations that were found to be similar to its software. Current events have likewise found their way to the video performance Mawal For Syria, (Live in Beirut, 2015, with Michel Banabila and Anas Maghrebi), which is now part of the collection of the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam
Interdisciplinary and international
Being an exponent of the sample culture of the nineties, Mul was one of the first VJs in the Netherlands. He employed various disciplines like dance, theatre and music, working with techno pioneer Speedy J, sound artist Michel Banabila, dance group Krisztina de Châtel, RO Theatre and the French National Symphony Orchestra, among others. His work is on view in museums, art fairs, festivals and in public spaces in Europe, the United States, China, South Africa, Japan and India. Mul is represented by Ron Mandos Gallery.
Sponsors
Special Thanks to Edwin Jacobs, Director Dortmunder-U.
