Renée van Trier

HUMBLE - At birth you are a promise but at the same time also the greatest possible risk

13 May 2023 - 03 September 2023

Powerful, absurdist and deeply uncomfortable at the same time: no one can watch the tragicomic performances by Tilburg-based artist Renée van Trier and remain unmoved. Her original visual signature has already attracted international attention. Now, De Pont is displaying her work very close to home. Poised on the edge between irritation and entertainment, and with music playing a major role, Van Trier shines her spotlight on the fears, secrets and desires we would prefer to keep hidden from the outside world. This also applies to her new performance-installation HUMBLE, which centres on the concepts of vulnerability, trust, and the tension between appearance and reality.

No matter how kind, charming and modest we appear, or how successful we are at polishing our outward image, others have no way of truly knowing what we are shielding behind our façade. That idea of a protective veneer – a shield – plays an important role in Van Trier's installation. Inspired by social media such as TikTok and Instagram, she depicts the hidden vulnerability in an era when nothing is as it seems. Dolphins, for instance, are playful and social creatures – but also intimidating beings with a will to dominate, and which commit assault and rape. Do they use their brains (known to be hyperintelligent) to purposefully conceal that dark side? And what about humans, for their part? Now that image and exterior have become accepted priorities, Van Trier asks – through HUMBLE – if we are still capable of managing real problems such as war, natural disasters and human interaction. Over the course of the exhibition, she will conduct frequent performances in the middle of her installation, in which contradictory images tumble over one another in a sensual cascade. Bolstered by mantras and rousing sounds, the artist seems to be conjuring protection against a threat and conveying a warning. From time to time, she drops her own shield and invites the viewer to do the same.

Renée van Trier gives a weekly performance in her exhibition on Sundays. It starts at 14:00h and lasts an hour. The performance is free with a museum ticket. There is only room for a certain number of people, so book your place in advance if you want to be sure of a place:

Tickets for HUMBLE

^{_{The works in the exhibition were made possible in part through the support of the Mondriaan Fund, Arsenic - Centre d'art scénique contemporain and Kunstloc Brabant.}}