Paul Hendrikse (NL)

°1977

Paul Hendrikse’s work explores the interface between historiography and fiction. In his search for alternative information about historical events he ignores the big stories in favour of individual microhistories. In so doing he shows that he rejects the possibility of presenting history in a simple, authoritarian manner. His projects, often performances or works pertaining to performance, are usually the result of long-drawn-out and detailed research. The result takes the form of publications, installations and audiovisual work as well as performances.

The Twelfth Man (2013)

video and sound installation, 9'48"

‘The twelfth man’ is a term for the football fans in a stadium during a match. Often their support for their team is such that it looks as if it is playing with a twelfth man. Because of the nature of his behaviour, his presence can profoundly affect the football players and their performance. The twelfth man is an interesting phenomenon because it overturns the classic roles of passive spectator and active player. By observing the behaviour of the supporters of KV Mechelen, Hendrikse arrived at an inventory of the sounds, mottos, gestures and physical movements used by the twelfth man to reinforce his ‘performance’. He turned it into musical scores which are performed here by supporters.

Produced by Contour 2013.

Writing Over, Over (2009)

notebook

The notebook is part of a series of works Paul Hendrikse made about the South African author Ingrid Jonker (1933-1965). She took part in the political struggle against censorship but her eventful life ended in suicide. Only after the abolition of apartheid was there a renewed interest in her and in her work. Indeed, Jonker’s life story took on mythical proportions in the numerous publications about her, which appeared, from a variety of quarters, both political and artistic. Hendrikse shows the impossibility of discovering the true identity of a writer who has been ‘interpreted’ by others. The ‘real Jonker’ remains elusive.