The Absence of Mark Manders

Bonnefanten, Maastricht, The Netherlands

With The Absence of Mark Manders it becomes visible how his special oeuvre is constantly developing: from older work that has been revised to his newest creations. The exhibition therefore constitutes both an overview of Manders' work and a new step in his artist process.

Bonnefanten has started the new year with the extensive retrospective exhibition The Absence of Mark Manders. The last major solo exhibition of Mark Manders (Volkel, 1968) on Dutch soil was more than 5 years ago. This new overview shows how Manders' special oeuvre develops organically: from old work that has been revised to his latest creations. The exhibition therefore constitutes both an overview of Manders' work and a new step in his artist process.

All the work that Manders creates is part of a a big self-portrait: the "Self-portrait as a building", his life's work on which he has been working since 1986. This self-portrait is supplemented and revised over the years. The public sees a snapshot of this self-portrait that is always in motion. After Manders has created a work, he leaves it behind in his “building”.

The rooms in The Absence of Mark Manders can be regarded as the rooms of his building. The works have been ‘left behind’ by the artist in three different zones. First, the visitor enters The living room, then The museum, and finally The studio. According to Manders, all the works are interchangeable and can be put into a different context: ‘like words in a sentence can also be used in different combinations’. In the exhibition, you walk through Manders’ self-portrait. The place where he ‘has thought and acted’. This brings the viewer very close to the artist.