AMSTERDAM.- On 17 August 2024 Nazif Lopulissa will exhibit his work at Museum Perron Oost, as the second of our four part exhibition series 'Fluxus Corporum'.

Nazif Lopulissa (1991) makes work inspired by the unwritten rules of play. Constructed from a variety of media – sculpture, painting and photography – Lopulissa’s works explore the dualities which both bind us and open up new possibilities for relating to ourselves and our environments. For this exhibition at Museum Perron Oost, Nazif Lopulissa presents a series of paintings made from bleach and oil. Exploring the role of light as a guiding force and catalyst for growth, direction and exchange, Lopulissa explores themes of migration, displacement, and adaptation.

This new series of works are made with bleach – a reductive material – which strips away the linen’s natural colour, permanently altering its surface. Sitting at the intersection between construction and reduction, the material qualities of the work playfully explore the ways in which the self is built, shifts and changes. This notion is also reflected in the panels of linen, stitched together – a cultural heritage intertwined, separate parts becoming a whole, distinct yet richer for their union.

At Museum Perron Oost, the works are bathed in the artificial pink light of industrial growth lamps, which are used to simulate the photosynthesising properties of the sun’s rays, encouraging plants to grow indoors. These lights, which can be repositioned, or switched on and off, have the ability to alter the direction and trajectory of the plant’s growth, representing the inconsistent and untrustworthy migration policies of the Netherlands. When people are displaced, they must readjust and reposition themselves, in order to lay roots and grow towards the light once again.

This light adds a flattening quality to the works, a quality which is heightened by the addition of oil paint, a final veneer over the works. Flattening the surface, the oil also adds a protective layer over the works, sealing them in a careful embrace.

FLUXUS CORPORUM

‘Fluxus Corporum,' which translates to 'flow of bodies' in Latin, showcases how a new generation of creators experiment with identity and how it is shaped by immigration and globalisation. The exhibitions take place within the intimate setting of Museum Perron Oost, the smallest museum in the Netherlands. Located at a former train station, complete with the station master's house, railway tracks, and a historic carriage, the venue is a powerful symbol of the continuous movement of people across cultural boundaries.

The exhibition series is curated by Boetie Zijlstra and Prutvhi Vellanki, based on an exhibition concept by Doron Beuns, and will run until the end of this calendar year.