Exhibition: They all must be slaughtered
„They all must be slaughtered“ is a performative exhibition with an intense artistic action in the gallery space, consisting of an apocalyptic installation and my largest woodcuts to date, in which my two artist identities Alex Diamond and Flaum van Kreuzen collide for the first time. This exhibition is presented at The MISSION by heliumcowboy until March 2, 2024.
The galley is open wednesdays - fridays from 2 - 6 pm, by appointment (contact details), and for several events at which I will be present. Check out my instagram or the heliumcowboy socials for updates and latest news.
Below you can find my artist statement and the exhibition info as well as some images from the show, the opening and a 4 min video talking you deep into what this show is all about (I hope :)). For available artwork of this exhibition please visit heliumcowboy.com
EXHIBITION INFORMATION & Artist statement
Just the sea, wild and vast. Stirred up by the storm. Clouds that ripple like waves. Moonlight tearing bright spots into deep dark water, like glimmers of hope in an endless, black night. Rocks against which the surf crashes, like citadels in a furious battle.
This is the emotion with which the new, oversized woodcuts by Jörg Heikhaus aka Alex Diamond were created, in weeks of work: starting with the construction of the image carriers in their unusual formats, followed by a stormy, passionate application of paint with broad brushes, and finally in countless hours of carving, using blades no wider than 1 and 3 millimeters. The compositions draw inspiration from classical maritime painting of the 19th century, such as that of Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (1817–1900). However, through the formats, coloration, and never-ending lines of the waves, they also strongly evoke apocalyptic themes and are not a mere reproduction of nature.
Like most works by Jörg Heikhaus, these new pieces are a reaction to our increasingly dehumanized society and a statement reflecting the artist's personal stance on our interactions in these challenging, threatening times.
These images will be presented for the first time in a special exhibition, which, in addition to the three large formats and a smaller piece, also features a large-scale installation embedded in a staging of the works, atmospherically accompanied by darkness and music. The title of the exhibition is inspired by a rare piece from the band Melvins, which will be played continuously during the vernissage: "They all must be slaughtered." This 1997 song exists only in analog form and will be repeatedly played by hand from vinyl during the opening.
And what does F. van Kreuzen have to do with it? The character that Heikhaus created in 2020 for his venture into abstract art meets here with the identity of Alex Diamond because a fusion of the two is simply inevitable, and van Kreuzen is more suitable for the construction of the installation. This can be better understood by visiting the exhibition or considering the following comparison: Alex Diamond is responsible for the fine, detailed, complex, and conceptual works, while van Kreuzen embodies the more forceful. The berserker in the connoisseur, so to speak.
The apocalyptic title "They all must be slaughtered" naturally does not take a position on current military or religious-fanatic, murderous conflicts. Instead, it questions each of us in their behavior in the face of the state of our world and our coexistence: Where is my responsibility? What is my role? A lamb on its way to the slaughterhouse, preferring to obediently follow rather than feel (with) humanity? Someone drowning in the sea of confusion, saturation, and fear? What will it be in the end, resignation or action? This, in turn, raises the question of whether I even want an artist to involve me so directly, rather than simply entertaining me.
For Jörg Heikhaus, this exhibition is also a logical continuation of his installation "Fuck This Shit" from 2021, where he already emphasized the importance of artists taking a stance. Thus, he repeats himself with his reference to the highly esteemed writer Don DeLillo:
"In 2005, DeLillo wrote that 'writers must oppose systems. It's important to write against power, corporations, the state, and the whole system of consumption and debilitating entertainment [...] I think writers, by nature, must oppose things, oppose whatever power tries to impose on us.' If you replace 'writers' with 'artists' and add Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc., to the list of 'debilitating entertainments,' you are already in the present and thus also in the context of my exhibition.
For many years, I have worked hard to develop my own aesthetics and techniques of visual storytelling to find a very personal and individual way to express my concerns, my cares, my love for nature and humanity, and my rage towards greed, oppression, and intolerance. Through working with wood, complex constructions, carving with sharp blades, applying paint, solid craftsmanship, and absolute dedication, I strive to create artworks that have meaning and are expressive and political.
I believe art can be a beacon to shine a spotlight on society and our lives, and a flag to be raised in battle. It can be more subtle than a punch in the face or the burning of police cars, but it has the same potential to raise awareness.
This is what I want my voice to be in this crazy, messed up, violated, and yet so lovable world! Getting to this point was a constant internal debate, alone in the studio, carving wave after wave, the whole long way to this exhibition... a struggle. A battle. Sometimes, bloodshed. And now, the hope that people take the time to immerse themselves in the wild waves of the sea to find themselves and perhaps their own voice."
Exhibition Views
Images of the opening Dec 8, 2023
Photos by Julia Schwendner
