Job Koelewijn

Koelewijn often uses ephemeral or scented materials. For example, in 1995 he smeared the door of the arts centre De Appel in Amsterdam with Vicks chest rub. The strong smell made everyone aware of his or her own breathing. The artist often incorporates text or poetry in his work. In 1996 he covered the floor of a gallery in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam with green insulation sheeting, on which a performer wrote poems with a roll-on deodorant. These remained legible for a few minutes before disappearing.

Koelewijn works with photography, film and video. In a photograph entitled A Balancing Act we see him on the street among the skyscrapers in New York, where he lived for several years, balancing a tower of stacked glasses. The photograph makes tangible the experience of life. The image has personal connotations but is also accessible to everyone.