Mariken
Wessels
04.03.2016
05.06.2016
Taking Off. Henry my Neighbor
Taking Off is a true visual story of a failed marriage, fraught with sexual frustrations and voyeurism. The exhibition introduces us to Henry's photographic obsessions. Henry's wife Martha lived under the yoke of her husband for years, casually posing for his extravagant nude photography. Through acquaintances in the United States, the entire private collection ended up in the hands of Mariken Wessels (NL, °1963).
Wessels reconstructed Henry's marriage, work and life and shows various phases of his obsession. She started from the almost 5,500 black and white nude photos, dozens of collages and various clay figures. Taking Off leads us into the closed private world of Henry and his muse. Wessels is the confidante for their story, through her we get to see an artistic plea for the courage of Henry's wife to expose her husband's creative madness.
The book Taking Off. Henry my Neighbor was published by Art Paper Editions (APE) in 2015.
Curator: Joachim Naudts