Ferrotopia (2018) | Atelier van Lieshout Archived

Ferrotopia | Atelier Van Lieshout
NDSM-werf
On display from 27 april to 2 december 2018

Ferrotopia is an art installation in public space, a ‘gesamtkunstwork’, and a pop-up museum, all at once. The work is a tribute to iron (ferro=iron) and consists of a collection of iconic constructions positioned around a central square. The last three years, some parts were already exhibited at the Ruhrtriënalle in Bochum (Germany) and at the Centre Pompidou in Paris (France). At the NDSM-werf, a new work has been added to this: the Valhamerhouse – a place for destruction and recycling. The ensemble is completed by the unique Happy Gietloods, a fully furnished and ready-to-use metal workshop, forge, and foundry.

Cross-over programme

During the opening, a programme with visual arts, design, theatre, film, music and lectures unfolded against the decor of Ferrotopia. These works connected the romance of industrial heritage to the re-discovery of new industries and crafts within the circular economy. The programme has been made possible by, amongst others, Over het IJ festival, Partizan Publik, MU Eindhoven, EYE Filmmuseum and of course Atelier Van Lieshout itself.

At the centre of the installation stands the Domestikator, which – due to its sexual appearance – has attracted attention from many different countries. Atelier Van Lieshout explains the thematic of this art piece as follows:

“Domestikator reflects on the way humans cultivate and domesticate the world by applying their ingenuity and creativity, yet how at the same time they challenge ethical and real borders by new technologies. With the artwork, artist Joep van Lieshout wants to start a dialogue about these positive and negative forces, while playfully addressing one of the last few remaining hypocritical taboos.”

Ferrotopia was commissioned by Stichting NDSM-werf. The project has been created with financial contributions by Gemeente Amsterdam, Mondriaan Fonds, Stadsdeel Amsterdam-Noord, Stichting Doen, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst and Fonds 21, and in collaboration with BeamSystems and Pllek.

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