THE ARRANGING OF BOOKS BY COLOR

THE ARRANGING OF BOOKS BY COLOR

FEIKO BECKERS

In his essay De l'Amour the French writer Stendhal describes the process of crystallization. According to him, the process of the formation of salt crystals is similar to the development of love. In four steps Stendhal dissects the process of falling in love. From admiration to acknowledgment, from acknowledgment to hope and from hope to the eventual delight. Four simple steps that logically follow each other in an orderly and rational order.

   
In his work Feiko Beckers aims to so the same as Stendhal. He also attempts to approach feelings and events in such a way that they become clear and understandable.

   
In his videos and performances Beckers both recounts and stages personal stories with the participation of actual members of his family and friends. These stories often revolve around personal failures, accidents and embarrassments he once experienced.

   
His work is an attempt to find answers to the unexpected and relentless nature of these unfortunate events. By creating structures and strategies in which these events are not only inevitable, but also easily explainable.

  The title of the exhibition The arranging of books by color also refers to the use of a structure. Namely the idea of arranging books in a bookcase according to the color of their covers. Although visually resembling a structure, when put into practice it does not at all work.  Forgetting the color of a book renders the book unfindable in the end.

  
The same goes for the structures that Beckers creates in his work. They are seemingly feasible structures that - when put into practice however - fail miserably. Failures that affect the artist himself, but above all the people he invites to take part in his work; his family and friends.

  For The arranging of books by color Beckers has realized three new video works. Works that are presented together with the respective sets in which they were filmed. Thereby not only exposing the work's artificiality, but also questioning the sincerity with which the acts and ideas are put forward.