Martie Genger: Opus Dei
Posted on: June 6, 2014
Opus Dei consists of 12 artworks by Martie Genger and focuses on man’s relation with planet Earth. Four pieces of the series are now exhibited in the hall of the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten in Scharloo.
Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten
Simón Bolivar Plein 1
Curaçao
When she was living in Costa Rica, Martie Genger knitted 17 giant-size sweaters for an exhibition. She did the knitting herself because she felt she needed to undergo the process and, as she puts it herself, experience the boredom. “You can only know the road if you traveled it” is her down-to-earth statement.
This time also, each small part of each artwork, forming the series Opus Dei (God’s work), is carefully shaped by the artist’s hand.
The exhibition confronts us with our lifestyle, beliefs, and behavior, admonishing us to stop and think. We know that our lifestyle takes a heavy toll on our planet. We know about the oil spills, and we all know we should protect the earth. Still, we prefer to hide and pretend it’s not happening.
The artworks are made of separate wooden puzzle pieces, crafted by the artist from multiplex and triplex. After assembling, she carefully chooses the colors, applies seven layers of paint, and finishes with a layer of resin.
When growing up, the colors around her were mostly grey and brown, and as an escape from this childhood experience, she used contrasting hues of red and blue, combined with black and white.
The puzzle pieces, with notches and bulges, symbolize the ongoing process of giving and taking. Also, it shows that all parts matter because if one piece is missing, the puzzle is incomplete.
‘Polluted Waters’, made in 1993, is here displayed on the floor, as intended. The sea is carefully represented with tiny plaster ripples in white and different shades of blue. It intensifies the contrast with the stark black, representing the oil-polluted waters. The globe with tiny figures at the bottom, ‘Our planet’ (1992), suggests that people are aware that the earth needs protection. ‘Our World’ symbolizes the land with its inhabitants and is made up of 4 layers of wooden pieces.
‘Ignorance’, the folding screen is placed at a distance from the other three artworks. Here, Martie Genger criticizes the community, for people appear indifferent, prefer to hide, and not see how we misuse our planet.
The Central Bank is heightening its awareness of climate and sustainability. The present exhibition, ‘Opus Dei’ aligns entirely with this new stance.
The exhibition remains till July 15, 2014.
