I'm republishing today an interview (that I originally did for Zoot Magazine) with one of the curators of the first large-scale solo exhibition of Iris van Herpen’s work at the Groninger Museum.
Since graduating in 2006 from the ArtEZ Hogeschool voor Kunsten (ArtEZ Institute of the Arts) in Arnhem Iris van Herpen created outstanding collections, proving she has a passion for craftsmanship and for researching the possibilities that unusual materials or new technologies can offer to fashion designers.
Featuring designs fit for an Amazon or a half woman-half animal superhuman being (“Fragile Futurity”), inpired by crows and alchemists (“Chemical Crows”), industrial smoke (“Refinery Smoke”), mummies (“Mummification”) or radiations and waves surrounding and affecting the human body (“Radiation Invasion"), van Herpen's collections won her the praise of many fashion critics and numerous awards.
Last year, a dress made using 3-D printing, was acclaimed by Time Magazine as one of the fifty best inventions of the year and the designer also became a member of the prestigious Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, showcasing her Spring/Summer 2011 (“Escapism”), Autumn/Winter 2011-12 (“Capriole”) and Spring/Summer 2012 (“Micro”) collections during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.
It is therefore not surprising that the Groninger Museum recently organised the first large-scale solo exhibition celebrating the Dutch designer. Compiled by Sue-an van der Zijpp, curator of present-day art, and Mark Wilson, chief curator, the exhibition includes over 30 designs divided in nine galleries.
The event features designs from 2008 to the present day that will allow visitors to rediscover the art and craft behind each piece. The curators conceived the exhibition as a way to admire not just fashion, but genuine artworks and follow the narratives surrounding each collection, admiring fan-like structures entirely made of thin brass rods taken from hundreds of children’s umbrellas, ammonite-shaped motifs in technological materials, anemone-like alien structures, globular masses and tentacles of fringes, skeleton-like elements, ellipsoid bubbles and absurd geometric spaces creating experimental constructions.
All the designs exhibited have a strong visual impact and the curators also highlighted through their selection the importance of materials – from twisted silk thread or iridescent leather strips – and the use of innovative techniques, including 3-D printing and rapid prototyping.
The exhibition also includes pieces from the latest two collections showcased in Paris, “Capriole” (A/W 2012) and “Micro” (S/S 2012). The latter, based on a combination of crafts and artisanship with innovative technology, is inspired by blown up images of microorganisms and made in collaboration with designer Stephen Jones, artist Bart Hess, architect Isaïe Bloch and graphic designer Tara Doughans.
Iris van Herpen is a young and relatively new designer, what prompted you to organise a “retrospective” about her?
Sue-an van der Zijpp: Traditionally, when it comes to an artist, museums organise a retrospective after five or ten years. But, in fashion, since a designer does two collections a year, you have ten collections in five years. It has always been a point for our museum to check out if someone had enough pieces to fill up a whole floor with work and ten collections can be compared to a ten or five year production, in a nutshell, it's already a milestone. Technically, the Iris van Herpen’s exhibition is not a retrospective, but it still shows someone’s trademark style. Besides, fashion and design are a big part of what we do and we are particularly interested in the intersection between these disciplines and in showcasing pieces with sculptural or architectural connections. We always try to come up with somebody interesting who fits this policy. With that in mind, we previously organised exhibitions about Comme des Garçons, Hussein Chalayan and Bernhard Willhelm and, more recently, Azzedine Alaïa. In 2000, we did a show about Viktor & Rolf. That was somehow similar to what we’re doing now with Iris, since at that time they had already done couture for five years, so ten seasons. When I came across Iris’ work I thought ‘this is such a talent again!’ and I was flabbergasted that she hadn’t been picked by other museums, so I’m very glad we at Groninger Museum managed to organise this event about her.
Was it challenging to select the designs that had to go into the exhibition?
Sue-an van der Zijpp: You always have certain winners in a collection, the very last piece in a show is often pretty amazing and it’s easier when you see a collection and look at all the pieces in line, so usually it’s not too difficult. But then again an exhibition is also about the story behind a specific piece or the materials employed to make them, so we tried to feature a variety of designs, looking at the best pieces for what regarded shape and process and then we picked three from every collection, also the latest one. One collection for example included a big striking collar that really stood out, but, as I said, sometimes you have to balance that more striking aspect with other elements, so at times it was more about a “mix and match” situation. We also thought it was very important to highlight the different narratives in the collections and sometimes the narrative is also about technology as Iris works a lot with rapid prototyping for example, so we included pieces that also told these "technological stories".
Seeing a design by Iris van Herpen in a picture and then seeing up close, completely changes your perception of that particular piece: did you ever experience this feeling while working on the exhibition or where you ever “deceived” by her use of materials?
Sue-an van der Zijpp: I had that moment. There is a dress in the Spring/Summer 2012 collection that looks as if it were sculpted in wood, but it’s actually the most futuristic one since it was made in collaboration with an architect and using 3-D printing. It looks amazing, like a neo-gothic piece or a ghost dress. I also saw a piece in a picture formed by a series of glittery straps of leather and I thought it looked fantastic with the lights bouncing back on it. When I saw it up close I realised there were different shapes and colours on the leather, so the designer had been basically sculpting with light and creating movement on the dress. A piece like that one proves that she is a real genius.
Showcasing the designs exhibited in a fashion exhibition can at times be hard as the most interesting elements may be hidden inside a piece, how did you divide the space for this specific event?
Sue-an van der Zijpp: We are showcasing the designs in nine galleries, and each gallery is approximately 100 square metres. The designs need space because they are sculptures, so you must be able to walk around them. You lose already so much by not being able to touch or see a piece in movement, so at least you have to be able to walk around it.
How would you describe Iris’ work?
Sue-an van der Zijpp: Maybe as “total freedom of shape”. Her designs are about her fantasy and about her managing to materialise that fantasy, and that’s something truly brilliant that shows she has already developed a idiosyncratic language of herself. Iris is so crafty and works on the pieces with her own hands, she’s got a team, but she fiddles with all the pieces by herself and I really admire her for that.
Does the event also include references to Iris van Herpen’s collaborations with architectural firms such as Benthem Crouwel for the Arcam exhibition?
Sue-an van der Zijpp: We kept the Azzedine Alaïa exhibition quite minimal and we are doing the same with this event, so in a way the pieces will speak for themselves without any in-depth explanations ahout the architectural connections. That said we do provide small texts in which Iris talks to the audience about the background for her collections. We may explore further architectural connections in the educational programme and we have a digital device that allows people to log on in each gallery space and get background information.
What kind of visitors are you expecting to come and see this event?
Sue-an van der Zijpp: The good thing about Iris van Herpen is that even people who are not into fashion are amazed by her intriguing work because it really attracts you to scrutinise it and there are so many things and aspects to discover in it and in this exhibition. I guess the best thing about her work is the fact that she doesn’t make you feel bad at not being able to wear a piece by her, because you can’t afford it, because you don’t have the right body to do so, or for other fashion-related reasons. Her work is indeed beyond fashion.
“Iris van Herpen” is at the Groninger Museum until 23rd September 2012. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue (BAI Publishers) that features an overview of her collections up to the present.
Credits:
Image 1:
Iris van Herpen (with Isaïe Bloch)
"Capriole", Haute Couture 2011
3D print in polyamide
Photo: Ingrid Baars © Iris van Herpen
Image 2:
Iris van Herpen
"Refinery Smoke"
July 2008
Photo: BART OOMES, No 6 Studios © Iris van Herpen
Image 3:
Iris van Herpen
"Escapism"
January 2011
Photo: BART OOMES, No 6 Studios © Iris van Herpen
Image 4:
Iris van Herpen
"Radiation Invasion"
September 2009
Photo: BART OOMES, No 6 Studios © Iris van Herpen
Image 5:
Iris van Herpen
"Escapism"
January 2011
Photo: BART OOMES, No 6 Studios © Iris van Herpen
Image 6:
Iris van Herpen
"Micro"
January 2012
Photo: BART OOMES, No 6 Studios © Iris van Herpen
Image 7:
Iris van Herpen
"Capriole"
July 2011
Photo: BART OOMES, No 6 Studios © Iris van Herpen
Image 8:
Iris van Herpen
"Crystallization"
July 2010
photography: BART OOMES, No 6 Studios © Iris van Herpen
Image 9:
Iris van Herpen
"Micro"
January 2012
Photo: BART OOMES, No 6 Studios © Iris van Herpen
Image 10:
Iris van Herpen
"Chemical Crows"
January 2008
Photo: BART OOMES, No 6 Studios © Iris van Herpen
Image 11:
"Capriole"
July 2011
Photo: BART OOMES, No 6 Studios © Iris van Herpen
Image 12:
"Mummification"
January 2009
Photo: BART OOMES, No 6 Studios © Iris van Herpen
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