The Materiality of the Invisible

The Materiality of the Invisible approaches contemporary art as a form of archaeology. New and strange worlds are uncovered, exposing current and social political realities. The artists' discoveries, narratives, and installations propose speculative pasts and futures. The combined exhibitions offer insights into our existence and make visible what inhabits the imagination.

NEARCH
Van Eyck is a partner of the multi-annual EU project NEARCH - new scenarios for a community-involved archaeology. The Van Eyck selected six international artists, who each collaborated with two archaeological partners. The Materiality of the Invisible exhibits the outcomes alongside work by 24 other artists and architects. 

Exhibition core
The exhibitions' core comprises work by six invited artists and artistic duos: Leyla Cardenas (CO), Joey Bryniarska & Martin Westwood (GB), Rosella Biscotti (IT), Iratxe Jaio & Klaas van Gorkum (ES, NL) Matthew C. Wilson (USA), and Guiseppe Licari (IT). As an outcome of NEARCH, the Van Eyck, Marres, and Bureau Europa were invited to develop a joint exhibition of these artists' work accors their three locations.

Participating artists
Lida Abdul, Sema Bekirovic, Rosella Biscotti, Marinus Boezem, Lonnie van Brummelen & Siebren de Haan, Leyla Cardenas, Ruben Castro, Imran, Channa, Klaas van Gorkum & Iratxe Jaio, Mikhail Karikis & Uriel Orlow, Daniel Knorr, Jeroen Kooijmans, Irene Koppelman, Giuseppe Licari, Chaim van Luit, Mark Manders, Alice Miceli, RAAAF, Raewyn Martyn, Stephanie Saade, Fernando Sanchez Castillo, Oscar Santillan, Daniel Silver, Studio Ossidiana, Marjan Teeuwen, Leonid Tsvetkov, Maarten Vanden Eynde, Roy Villevoye & Jan Dietvorst, Matthew C. Wilson, Martin Westwood & Joey Bryniarska.

Associated events and public
The exhibtions' opening coincides with the annual convention of the EAA - European Association of Archeologists - taking place in Maastricht from 30 August to 3 September. The public programme includes lectures by archaeologist Michael Shanks*, a project with the Thermenmuseum in Heerlen, and an extensive education programme for schools in the region.

Accompanying the exhibition is a supplement in the Zuiderlucht culture magazine, designed by Hans Gremmen, who is also responsible for the three exhibitions' visual identity.

Follow the programme on the websites and social media of Bureau Europa, Van Eyck and Marres.

Opening Tuesday 29 August
18:00 at Van Eyck - opening by Michael Shanks*
19:00 at Marres
20:00 at Bureau Europa.

*Archaeologist Michael Shanks, an affiliate of Stanford University, seeks a revitalisation of archaeological thinking.

Exhibition
30 August - 29 October at Van Eyck and Bureau Europa
30 August - 26 November at Marres.