IN-DEPENDANCE by IBASHO is proud to present “Navigating Mystery”, a duo exhibition
presenting works of two Dutch artists Tjitske Oosterholt & Justus de Rode.
In "Navigating Mystery”, Tjitske Oosterholt and Justus de Rode explore the spectrum of reason
and emotion. Simultaneously embracing research and the unknowable, they aim to explore
mystery. In today’s complex and changing world, western modernity often relies on finding truth in
reason and data. However, an attempt to grasp this complexity through rationality alone, generally
creates an even more abstract reality, consisting of words and numbers. In response to
modernity’s disenchantment, perhaps meaning can be found in accepting uncertainty.
As part of this exhibition, Tjitske Oosterholt’s series “A Continual Unfolding” is an exploration of
the uncontrollable, by embracing the unknown and remaining open to what emerges. Using
Polaroid photographs with their inherent unpredictability, she follows where the material leads her,
engaging with uncertainty. Through the creation of collages, a constructive interaction with the
unexpected and the unfamiliar is established, creating scenes that resemble landscapes, and the
formation and disruption of natural phenomena. Due to the distortion of the film, the pieces are
never fully set, constantly asking the viewer to pay attention, and to give in to the uncertainty of
not knowing what the work might look like in the future. The instability of the materials, as well as
the imagery of natural scapes, create room for reflection on what our interaction with our
surroundings brings about.
In “Navigating Mystery”, Justus De Rode shows a selection of works from his new series “Views
of Nature” (2024), inspired by the thinking and travelogues of 19th-century naturalist Alexander
von Humboldt, father of ecology. Through toning cyanotypes — a popular documentation tool
among 19th-century botanists — with a variety of natural tannins, the series aims to adopt a more
earthly character that mirrors the natural world while aiming to spark a sense of wonder and
mysticism through their subject matter and pictorialism. Using excerpts from his eponymous
travelogues as both titles and starting points for the works, “Views of Nature” (2024) reflects
Humboldt's plea for sensibility, suggesting a potential antidote to the modern day alienation.
The exhibition “Navigating Mystery” runs from 25 January 2025 until 16 March 2025. The artists will be present during the vernissage.
Artists: Tjitske Oosterholt, Justus de Rode
