A Touch of the Great Equation
Alban Karsten and V&B (Alex Jacobs en Ellemieke Schoenmaker)
A Touch of the Great Equation is a duo exhibition by Alban Karsten and V&B (Alex Jacobs en Ellemieke Schoenmaker) where sculptural work is (re)presented inside complex and perhaps sometimes confusing graphs. Sculptures and charts prove to have an unexpectedly close relationship, as both are fundamentally about creating meaning through connection, structure and patterns. They also share a conceptual space where form and function merge to communicate something deeper, previously hidden.
Alban Karsten lives and works in Amsterdam and was one of the founders of artist-run project space De Gym (Groningen, NL). He received his bachelor's degree from Academie Minerva (Groningen, NL) and his master's degree from Sandberg Institute (Amsterdam, NL).
His work was shown at a.o. Gwangju Biennale (Gwangju, KR), De Appel (Amsterdam, NL), International Design Biennial (St. Etienne, FR), Kunstfort bij Vijfhuizen (Vijfhuizen, NL), Museum für Kunst & Gewerbe (Hamburg, DE), W139 (Amsterdam, NL), Combo (Venice, IT), Het Resort (Groningen, NL), Am Ende Des Tages (Düsseldorf, DE), Kunsthuis SYB (Beetsterzwaag, NL), Macao (Milan, IT), De Fabriek (Eindhoven, NL) and Huis Marseille (Amsterdam, NL).
V&B (Alex Jacobs en Ellemieke Schoenmaker) is an artist duo founded in Los Angeles in 2007. They live and work in Rotterdam. V&B are co-founders of the Hectobar.nl, the Bcademie and the Heejsteck#.
Their work has been shown in multiple solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally. Among others: Torrance Art Museum (Los Angeles, USA), Gemeentemuseum (Den Haag, NL), Museum Boijmans van Beuningen (Rotterdam, NL), Galerie Jaap Sleper (Utrecht, NL), Co-Prosperity Sphere (Chicago, USA) and Mark Moore Gallery (Los Angeles USA).
Next to exhibitions they have received many awards and grants. Among others: The New Rembrandt by the AVRO, Royal Painting Prize and Established Artist Grant by the Mondriaan fund. Their work can be found in both private and other collections. For example Centraal Museum Utrecht, Museum Voorlinden, VU Medical Centre, AKZO NOBEL Art Foundation and Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, Milan, Italy.
