PHOTO:Daniëlle van Ark-Artist’s Proof

Left: Daniëlle van Ark, A Picture of Carrie Fischer, 2015, © Daniëlle van Ark, Courtesy of family Servais Collection. Right: Daniëlle van Ark, AP 1/1, 2013, © Daniëlle van Ark, Courtesy tegenboschvanvredenThe works of Daniëlle van Ark make use of different (sub)cultural languages and examine the passing of time. By appropriating objects and manipulating existing content related to socio-cultural status, the mostly labour-intensive works of Daniëlle van Ark show the fragility of life and explore her own position as an artist today.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Foam Archive

Daniëlle van Ark in her solo exhibition “Artist’s Proof” raises questions about authenticity and the determination of value, especially in photography: the reproducible medium par excellence. The exhibition contains works from Van Ark’s most recent series, including “Share Moments. Share Life.” (2017), “3 Vitrines Showcasing the Flexibility of a Picture of a Picture” (2017), “Contemporary Art” (2015-17), “A Picture Of…” (2015) and “Today Everything Exists to End in a Photograph” (2015-2017) that takes its name from a Susan Sontag’s quote. In “Share Moments. Share Life.” Daniëlle Van Ark shows a series of photography advertisements from the pages of vintage Life and American Photo magazines. Photographed analog the front and back of the pages morph together and shine literally a new light on the evolution of the medium. “Contemporary Art” is series of analog photographs taken from the pages of fine art auction house catalogs. The artist photographed simultaneously the front and back of a page with the reproduced images of the artworks on auction printed on it. Photographed with a 4 x 5” camera in front of a light box, the front and the back of a page morph into each other and leaves a phantom-like image. “By ‘placing’ the images on top of each other I do not only undermine the reading of the original artwork but also the original reading of the image. It also questions authorship and value”. In addition to Van Ark’s most recent work, the exhibition also presents an installation created specifically for the Foam, in which the artist reflects on the selective ways in which her own work, too, gains value and significance. The installation consists of ‘old’ work, which is ‘stored’ on depot carts and shelves in the museum. The dusted-down works were far from randomly chosen: for “Curator’s Office” (2008-10), Van Ark photographed the offices and desks of curators in various prominent art institutions such as the MoMA and Artforum. Her installation is a playful protest against the power of the curator to position her work in the public eye – or to withhold it from view.

Info: Foam, Keizersgracht 609, Amsterdam, Duration: 20/4-10/6/18, Days & Hours: Mon-Wed &Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, Thu-Fri 10:00-21:00, www.foam.org

Left to Right: Daniëlle van Ark, Easy does it, 2017, from the series Share Moments. Share Life © Daniëlle van Ark, Courtesy tegenboschvanvreden. Daniëlle van Ark, Lot 223 + Lot 224, 2018, from the series Contemporary Art, © Daniëlle van Ark, Courtesy of tegenboschvanvreden. Daniëlle van Ark, Lot 458 + Lot 459, 2016, from the series Contemporary Art, © Daniëlle van Ark, Courtesy De Nederlandsche Bank
Left to Right: Daniëlle van Ark, Easy does it, 2017, from the series Share Moments. Share Life © Daniëlle van Ark, Courtesy tegenboschvanvreden. Daniëlle van Ark, Lot 223 + Lot 224, 2018, from the series Contemporary Art, © Daniëlle van Ark, Courtesy of tegenboschvanvreden. Daniëlle van Ark, Lot 458 + Lot 459, 2016, from the series Contemporary Art, © Daniëlle van Ark, Courtesy De Nederlandsche Bank