Interview: Theresie Tholen
Luca Curci talks with Theresie Tholen during FUTURE LANDSCAPES, third appointment of BORDERS ART FAIR, at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello.

Theresie Tholen lives and works as a jewellery designer and sculptor near Maastricht. Her work has been exhibited in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Started with “unwearable jewellery” a mixture of gold smithing and sculpture.

Luca Curci – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
Theresie Tholen – Since graduating from the Academy of Visual Arts, I’ve been developing my artistic voice. The overall concept of the body of my work is “Rivivere”. By reusing plain and obvious elements in a new setting, I try to add meaning, in such a way that the observer can also see the humour in serious subjects or reflections. It is another way of looking, a challenge for me and the viewer to discover another layer. As human beings, we always want to break limits and reinvent life. We like to imagine new worlds with fictional landscapes and undiscovered breeds of animals adapted to a different kind of life.
The art piece “Dancing in the Dark” is an example of such an animal. It can fly, swim, run and dance. It’s one of a kind, special and beautiful in many ways. Forever it will dance, celebrating nature’s resilience.

LC – Where do you find your inspiration?
TT – I find inspiration in ordinary life, conversations, wonders and ideals.

LC – Do you agree with our vision of art and what do you think about the theme of the exhibition?
TT – We can sculpt our bodies to fit the ideals we have in mind. Cosmetic surgery can give us the tools we need. The art piece “Look up here” shows the glorification of the perfect body, using (breast)implants and eye prostheses. Defective parts are replaced with new ones having even more functions. Flirting with the meaning of a “personal” search for the ideal body. The quest to shape everything into how we believe it should be. Whether it is our bodies, our homes or even nature itself. Who decides what the world should look like? Do we let nature run her course?

LC – We were attracted by your last artistic production, has the artwork presented been created for the exhibition or as a part of preexisting works?
TT – The presented artwork was created before the exhibition, but it fits perfectly with the presented theme. “Future landscapes” is an inclusive theme that bears a lot of different interpretations. A timeless subject.

LC – Which subject are you working on?
TT – My last project was a collaboration with a children’s book author. He drew inspiration from one of my works to create a poem, just like I used a poem to find inspiration for my art piece. The reactions of the visitors, especially the children, during the expo were very surprising. It opened our eyes, as artists, to how others view and understand texts and objects.

LC – Is there an unrealised or unrealisable project, even a crazy one, that you would like to work on?
TT – A project I would really like to start is a collaboration with children and other professionals to create “statue parlanti”, a way to give people of all ages a way to express their wishes and criticism in a public place, without using social media. This provokes a much more intimate and personal dialogue. Art at the service of society. For this project, I will need to find a way to be able to start up, as well as financial resources.

LC – What are the three hashtags essential to define your poetics that you could not give up?
TT – The three (hashtags) essential core values to create are #expression #survive #trigger

LC – What do you think about the organization of our event?
TT – The presented artwork was created before the exhibition, but it fits perfectly with the presented theme. “Future landscapes” is an inclusive theme that bears a lot of different interpretations. A timeless subject.

LC – Would you suggest a collaboration with us? What do you think about our services?
TT – ITSLIQUID group is a professional open platform that offers great opportunities for artists to increase their visibility and organise multicultural exchanges.

LC – What are your suggestions about our services? Is there something more we can provide to artists?
TT – It has been a pleasure working with the organisation. I have received great support and guidance in the process of situating my work. I would love to collaborate and work again with ITSLIQUID group in the future.