State of Transparency: Material and Metaphorical Investigations

Looiersgracht 60, in collaboration with The Large Glass Department of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, presents the exhibition State of Transparency, A survey into the material – and lingual connotations of a common expression. It celebrated the departments’ 50th anniversary and shows commitment to an open and critical dialogue on the traditional medium of glass, to redefine its implementation in contemporary art. Visitors will immediately experience the materials’ relevancy and urgency.

When one speaks of glass, the term transparency seems inseparable. Even though it stems from a material condition, transparency is increasingly used as a metaphor in society’s economic and political discussions. Together with other properties of glass, such as its fragility, sharpness, and beauty, the material lends itself to further develop contextual concepts. ‘State of Transparency’ investigates both the literal/conditional and the metaphorical qualities of the word and attempts to find visual consonance between the two.

The participating artists deal with the paradigm of transparency and the material efficacies of glass as a medium. It critically reflects on artistic practice rooted in glass, without necessarily using the medium itself: How can material transparency be approached outside of the use of glass or transparent media? How does material support or carry the idea of the context to help to its understanding? Does glass offer satisfying means for conveying information beyond transparency? The exhibition investigates those essential properties of glass which harness the potential of revealing and concealing and the handling of knowledge and ignorance within our society.

In the word of artist Laszlo Moholy Nagy: ‘The very point of transparency is not to fix the gaze, but on the contrary to set vision into motion.’ The exhibition offers contemplation wherein glass refracts, reflects and brings new understanding of transparency in our era.

Artists on show: Maria Barnas, Gwenneth Boelens, Ruta Butkute, Forensic Architecture, Mio Fujimaki, Jason Hendrik Hansma, Saskia Noor van Imhoff, David Jablonowski, Katrin Korfmann, Navid Nuur, Fahrettin Örenli, Jens Pfeifer, Laura Puska, Thomas Rentmeister, Judith Roux, Mirre Yayla Seur and Beny Wagner.

State of Transparency, A survey into the material – and lingual connotations of a common expression is on show at Looiersgracht 60 from May 25 to June 9, 2019.

Cover image: State of Transparency, view of the exhibition at Looiersgracht 60, 2019. Photograph by Kateryna Snizhko, courtesy of Gerrit Rietveld Academie.