The Vanishing of the Artist
Marinus Boezem
Video/Film
2015
Artists have signed their works since the Renaissance, not only to gain recognition but also to give the work an official status. In this installation Marinus Boezem has strewn birdseed in the form of his signature on the
flat roof of his studio. By signing the roof, he declares his studio (or even the whole world) a work of art.
The image is ironic and fleeting. It is a commentary on the position of the artist, who can achieve celebrity but can also be lost on the mists of time. Boezem’s signature is perish- able. It blurs as the birds eat the seed and carry it away on their flight into infinity. In fact the birds propagate his work in the sense that they transform the material – the seed – into flying and total freedom.
Appearing and disappearing, as is the case with the signature, are recurring motifs in Boezem’s work. They complement and critique one another, just as nature and culture have a direct relationship with each other.
During the manifestation the installation was being recorded by a webcam and streamed live on the website of the artist.