Helmersstraat
Marens van Leunen
Marens van Leunen spent the past year photographing the house where she grew up. Her father still lives there, surrounded by his belongings. You'll find 11 of the same chairs, four similar sofas, at least seven tables, seven to eight computer screens and six or more gas stoves. Just to name a few things. The interior has a dynamic character. Furniture comes and goes, bought and sold through Marktplaats, also called ‘the God of the oversupply’* by her father. Helmersstraat questions our relationship with our home environment and our belongings. What can our daily objects reveal about us? What is their worth? What role do they play in our (human) relationships? In addition to the carefully constructed still lifes - or installations? - she complemented her series with an archive of images she found on her father's computer, which is growing to this day. She re-organized some 3,300+ photos of items from many different Marketplace categories. A selection of these pictures from the most represented items (tables, speakers, headphones etc.) are made into an enormous poster, accompanying the playful black-and-white images in the publication of the same title. The whole is an ode to her father's carefully selected second-hand items, which have unintentionally grown into collections.
Marens van Leunen (1994) is a Dutch visual artist, currently based in Antwerp. Her work explores different layers within the everyday. She is interested in objects and spaces and their quality to carry meaning and memories. The relationship between individuals and their home environment and the objects within this space is often a starting point of her work. She creates images with multiple layers by both observing and staging, using personal memories and her imagination.