Richard Klapwijk

About

Richard Klapwijk (1968) is a performance-artist living and working in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The Artist’s Universe

In various media the work shows the artist’s own universe, where he himself is in the center, doubting and searching for how to stand in this world. The work consists of intriguing, layered installations, meaningful, socially critical and at the same time self critical. 

Both the installations and performances have an artistic and social basis. Critical and rebellious at the same time. Connecting high and low art, self mockery and self aggrandizement. The raising and lowering run like a red thread through the work.

Video works, various objects and works form together a large society, but critically humorous, ironic, blasphemous whole form where the energy sparkles from.

The work is open and airy to look at and at the same time the work makes you think about our world. 

A chroniquer, a novelist and a performer

In his performances Richard Klapwijk shows characteristics of a novelist, a chroniqueur, who seems to give insight into his own life and at the same time comments on the world that surrounds him at that specific moment in time. 

His artistic practice is characterized by a makeshift approach, humor, and a keen interest in dismantling power structures. His performance art is used as a tool to subvert and deconstruct dominant narratives and challenge the audience to think critically about social issues.

Working in unsettling circumstances

He prefers to work in unsettling and inconvenient circumstances, often in public spaces, where his work can engage with a broader audience. By traveling and discovering new cities and communities he immerses himself in the local, what is happening at a specific moment in time. And connects it to his own life and body.

Social Background and upbringing

His (almost faded) Jewish background is a recurrent theme in his work, exploring issues of identity, power, and representation. He takes risks and approaches art with a sense of fearlessness and experimentation.

Brought up in a well to do, white and privileged family he discovered art until late in his life. As a son of a father who was theologist and philosopher and a mother studying chemistry and mathematics he knew the power of debate, and obtaining status from early on in his life.

The untold family history plays a big part in his life and current work. Being a distant descendent from Eliezer Kropveld, the first converted Jew who became a christian reformed minister in the Netherlands (1870 Schoonebeek).

The basis: Making things

The basis of his work lies in his fascination for making things. Things that people recognize from their own life and which they can grasp. Who has got a twist that makes people feel wondering: What is this actually? Why was this made and was it necessary at all that it was made?

Ultimately, he wants people to wonder and decide for themselves what they are looking at. The working method is characterized by a fairly easy transition between different materials and media. While working, the materials and objects become animated and eventually have their effect in a total installation, a video and/or a performance.

The work of Richard Klapwijk can be characterized as open, lighthearted and ‘in the moment’. He goes out into the world, up to the street and starts making things or just takes action. By doing that he creates and collects images. In real life and in his head. Through this open process he tells his stories and events. They become part of the spectators’ lives and vice versa, people (and what they share) can unexpectedly end up in one of his stories.

Credits:

Prompted by Richard Klapwijk 

Written by Chat GPT