Olivier van Wijk

Olivier van Wijk (°1971, Geleen, Netherlands) makes sculptures, media art, installations and mixed media artworks. By parodying mass media by exaggerating certain formal aspects inherent to our contemporary society, Van Wijk considers making art a craft which is executed using clear formal rules and which should always refer to social reality.

His sculptures isolate the movements of humans and/or objects. By doing so, new sequences are created which reveal an inseparable relationship between motion and sound. By focusing on techniques and materials, he finds that movement reveals an inherent awkwardness, a humour that echoes our own vulnerabilities. The artist also considers movement as a metaphor for the ever-seeking man who experiences a continuous loss.His works are notable for their perfect finish and tactile nature. This is of great importance and bears witness to great craftsmanship. By questioning the concept of movement, he makes works that can be seen as self-portraits. Sometimes they appear idiosyncratic and quirky, at other times, they seem typical by-products of superabundance and marketing.

His works are saturated with obviousness, mental inertia, clichés and bad jokes. They question the coerciveness that is derived from the more profound meaning and the superficial aesthetic appearance of an image. Olivier Van Wijk currently lives and works in Roermond.