Jasper Rouwen
About the Artist
Born and raised in Kent, Jasper moved to the Netherlands in 2018 to start a BA in Fine Arts at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, where he graduated in 2022. Since then, he has continued to live and work as an Artist in Amsterdam, exhibiting in multiple galleries. In 2022, together with Emile Weisz, he co-founded ‘suzi’, a curatorial initiative centred around exhibiting contemporary and experimental artists.
Ahead of his residency, Jasper said:
‘I’m mainly thinking about ways to engage with the local community. How can I make a work that respectfully takes into account their perspective and feelings? As well as finding and using my own?’
By engaging and listening to the voices of this community, he aspires to take new steps within his own artistic practice, focusing on others’ experiences as well as his own and breaking away from the individualistic form that his practice often assumes.
He continued:
‘In the summer of 2019, I cycled from Amsterdam (NL) to Dorset (UK). I entered the New Forest National Park just over halfway through the ride. While searching for a bakery, I stumbled upon a curious scene that forced me to stop. A brown pony was standing by the porch of a large white house, completely blocking the door and trapping the residents inside their own home. Apart from the occasional swish of its tail, the pony stood there motionless, showing no indication of moving anytime soon.
‘Intrigued, I got off my bike and decided to observe this mundane yet surreal moment unfold. After 20 minutes, the pony still stood there, unfazed and unperturbed, seemingly unaware that it was obstructing others. In fact, it appeared as though the house was in the pony’s way. My imagination was sparked. How would the residents deal with this situation? Did it bother them? Did they find it funny? Has a pony ever entered their house? Was it doing this on purpose? After another 10 minutes without any sign of change, I left with unanswered questions.
‘I’m excited to investigate and explore the intangible borders that exist between the different inhabitants of the New Forest National Park. This specific interest came from the scene I experienced whilst cycling through the New Forest in 2019. By engaging with the local community, I will seek to learn how they deal with these comical moments of ‘mundane madness’, where ponies block doors and show up for breakfast.’
‘Within this instance of a pony blocking the entrance to someone’s home, questions of harmony, obstruction, control, and escapism arise. I see these questions as intrinsic to the National Park itself. By investigating these themes, I aim to create a work that serves as a window through which these differences can converge, ultimately sparking a dialogue on how we connect with our natural landscape.’
Read more about Jasper’s residency here
