A new installation by artist Gretha Hengst now graces our Banning building.
This time, the artwork is not only on the walls, but in the space itself. You walk around it, beneath it, and at times even bump into it. The forms seem to come alive, claiming their place in existence.
Using paper and paint, Gretha Hengst gives form to the human condition. Body parts, ideas, concepts, emotions – they all make an appearance. You can sense this too in the accompanying poem, “I Want to Be Bare and Begin”, written by Hengst herself. To us (the editorial team), it speaks of the inner and outer turmoil of vulnerability, reflection, learning, and stepping into your own strength. You can read a translation of the poem below.
The poem is inspired by the work of the same name by poet Paul van Ostaijen.
I Want to Be Bare and Begin
AN INSTALLATION BY GRETHA HENGST
I lose myself
in search of order
in a chaos of impressions
fragments of disjointed images
in the world within and beyond me
I find
the resonance of silence
endure
observe
within the field of discomfort
I recognise
the vulnerability
of the body itself
the opposing forces
at play within
I breathe
and can begin
