For the first edition of Amsterdam Art Fair Dürst Britt & Mayhew presents a solo presentation by Dutch artist Pieter Paul Pothoven, whose artistic practice concerns itself with the historic and social connotations of various valuable objects, ranging from lapis lazuli to ancient Egyptian mirrors. Pothoven mixes personal experience and first-hand research with historical information, which he ultimately translates into immersive installations.
Pieter Paul Pothoven’s approach predominantly relates to Walter Benjamin’s idea of a past that constitutes present meaning. His aim is to unearth the blind spots in the meaning and significance of his chosen objects within the framework of their given historical narratives. These are not alchemistic acts of turning formerly invaluable objects into precious artefacts, but conceptual exercises and manual gestures that add layers and narratives to pre-existing abstracts. In the work of Pieter Paul Pothoven objects become subjects that transgress information, value or meaning as they are drawn into the artistic realm.
