H is for Horse, H is for Hope

The natural state of man is of peace and amity - otherwise how has man survived for so long? But we must be vigilant, very vigilant. Nature is neutral but it will not tolerate disaffection. There is a concept for our human purposes we might conveniently call Evil, which is destructive, but Evil can be conquered. 

Evil is traditionally represented by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. For human society they represent the imbalances of disease or pestilence, hunger or famine, violence or war. We struggle to contain and destroy them. In the end we always seek and find peace. Until, that is, the next calamity. Then we have to start all over again. When peace reigns, the four horsemen of the apocalypse are put away, are stabled, kept quiet and controlled. 

The four horsemen are kept quiet in their stables. God should be their controller but is paralysed by their terror and is hiding cowardly in his private hiding place. The room of the fourth horseman, Death, is occupied by a mild creature representing Hope. Hope is challenging the horsemen in order to find a state of balance. 
We can visit the horsemen of the apocalypse in Torún and we can consider and contemplate all their many implications, especially for all of us just now - at this moment in history.

This installation will tell in a poetic and metaphorical way about the right for children to be raised in a safe and healthy environment, the right to be educated, the right of the freedom of speech and freedom of Press, the freedom of any religious belief or no religious belief at all as long as it remains peaceful and does no harm. And it hopes to demonstrate universal rights for all. 

The Greenaway Atelier

Surrounded by his paintings, inspirational objects and painting attributes, Peter Greenaway worked for some days in this atelier.The walls are decorated with Greenaway’s paintings from the series: Mythologies, Dynasties, Body parts, The ‘Married’ Couples, Rembrandt’s studio, Children of Uranium, Dutch Landscapes and The Elements.Visitors are welcome to enter The Greenaway Atelier, to see the exposed paintings, the video installations and the creation of new artworks.

 The exhibition consists of some ninety paintings with several projections. The figurative paintings are of listings of individual body parts, moving to considerations of groupings relative to family trees, single and group portraits, double portraits and heraldic dynasties.The painting’s characteristics consist of images made with Greenaway-customised stencils and templates and a persistent suggestion of deliberate artificial wear and erosion. The paintings and drawings made over the last ten years, are of acrylic on board with occasional collage elements.

 The centre piece of the installation is a short film created by Saskia Boddeke. The subject of this film is a series of short stories following the Alphabet, performed by Greenaway. The stories have various relevance to his activities as an artist, observer of the human body and mortal condition.