PAST EXHIBITION

Annex: Tamara Henderson

Contemporary art in the final space of Jessica Stockholder: Stuff Matters

In the final part of the exhibition Jessica Stockholder: Stuff Matters, Canadian artist Tamara Henderson (1982) presents costumes and a 16mm film projection in a set made of curtains. The title, Seasons End, indicates a journey, a cycle of transformations. When one season comes to an end, another announces itself. Underlying motifs are transience and growth, the relationship between death and life, healing and processing loss. Henderson has created her own mythology around these themes based on hypnosis sessions, dreams, alchemy and spirituality. The costumes, with titles such as Disease, The Doc and Silverfish in Tuxedo, play a role as characters in this mythology. Henderson sees them as human figures that represent the past and the present, profane gods and goddesses, elves and scarecrows. Some of the costumes were made during a stay on Greece, others during a residence in Glasgow and then Los Angeles. For each costume, Henderson uses local materials, embroidery techniques and rituals.

Taking up their places amid meticulously crafted curtains of various materials, the costumes play a role and enter into relationships with each other. Seasons End is constantly growing. Like a theatrical work on tour, the presentation is adapted for each new location. The myth unravels, new characters are added, while others bid us farewell.

This presentation is a try-out for a new programming space: the Annex. In the Annex, the final space in the Stables, the Centraal Museum gives young contemporary artists an opportunity to present their work in a way that provides a surprising perspective on the themes explored in the main exhibition. Both Jessica Stockholder and Tamara Henderson are fascinated by the many meanings that everyday objects and materials can convey.

With special thanks to Rodeo, London / Piraeus.