Dutch visual artist Daan Botlek is back in Leipzig, Germany invited to take part of the always interesting project If Paradise Is Half As Nice for which he created a series of interesting pieces that clearly reflect his interest in experimenting with site-specific installations and new ways of presenting his work.
Botlek’s characters, often simple and site-specific, interact with the surrounding architectural elements in the most unexpected ways creating the illusion of volume and bringing them to life from an otherwise two-dimensional world. This is the case of ’67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko’ (Image above), ‘Event Horizon’ and ‘Black Hole Reflection’.
About the project
If Paradise Is Half As Nice (IPIHAN) is a self-initiated art project focused on making art in abandoned buildings. It is aimed at leaving the comfort of the studio to experiment with new ways to conceive concepts, works of art, and ultimately an exhibition. In less than four weeks a location has to be found, artworks are being made, and an exhibition is being organized. These conditions make for a ‘pressure cooker’ effect: the fast exchange of ideas, the limited time to execute them, finding ways to realize them without getting noticed by the authorities, and the camaraderie to make all of this happen. Growing into a legal/semi-official project provided new possibilities and challenges, making IPIHAN an ever-evolving venture.
More about IPIHAN
More about Daan Botlek
Author: Fran
Founder and editor of Urbanite. Street Art lover who after the finishing her MA thesis on the Mexican and Norwegian muralist movement in the 1920-50s, developed a fascination for street art and graffiti that eventually led to collaborations with different art blogs, including the creation of this one.
