Songs For The North Atlantic: Lost At Sea
By Dan Rees (UK/DE)
30.01.09-23.02.09
The artist Dan Rees has for the KBH Kunsthal created a site-specific exhibition which takes its departing from the ever fascination and force of attraction that lies in the sea. Dan Rees bases his exhibition on the history of the mythological, comic/tragic concept- and performance artist Bas Jan Ader’s last work In Search Of The Miraculous – Songs For The North Atlantic that never was carried out. Bas Jan Ader who was living in USA, was invited in 1975 to exhibit in his native country the Netherlands and decided to travel alone in his boat cross the Atlantic as a performance.
Unfortunately he never arrived and his boat was found washed up off the coast of Ireland. Bas Jan Ader’s wife had for his arrival in the Netherlands planned to perform 6 songs about the sea but that was of course never carried out.
Dan Rees has for his exhibition at KBH Kunsthal chosen to interpreter this last work of Bas Jan Ader by letting students from Krabbesholm record the 6 songs and play them from loudspeakers placed in the vitrines. The last vitrine has been moved to the garden so it has sea view to the Limfjorden. Here the ultimate beach- and summer music is playing: The American West cost band, The Beach Boys Pet Sound album.
The intension of the show is to put together the various elements and references so Dan Rees creates his own personal site-specific and conceptual work. In his own works Rees it not afraid to show his inspirations and ideals and he doesn’t try to hide his lack of own unique ideas. He lets his heroes and references be the take-off for part of the works which are then put together in a new way, all depending on for who and where they are to be shown. Dan Rees very often take part himself as a figure in the works. Songs For The North Atlantic: Lost At Sea is therefore also a story about Dan Rees himself, not without humour, about the artist he is, born at the sea site Swansea in Wales but now based in Berlin. And thereby he is part of the long heavy tradition of artists being lonely wanders, that never feels at home, but always set to travel around the world, driven by the lust for the unexpected and unattainable.
Download songs:
> What Are The Wild Waves Saying
> A Yankee Ship And A Yankee Crew
Download text:
> Return Journey af Adam Carr (pdf)
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