Roos Theuws (Valkenswaard, 1957) is a Dutch media and video artist.
Life Roos Theuws studied from 1974 to 1979 in Tilburg to become a Tehatex teacher (also known as "Tekenen, Handvaardigheid en Textiele werkvormen"). From 1981 to 1983 she went to the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht. With the Stichting Time Based Arts, founded in 1983, she aimed to make the form of video art to be recognized by museums and galleries at the same level as other art mediums. Roos Theuws was closely related to the Association of Video Artists who helped shape the creation of Montevideo / Time Based Arts in 1986. It became the national centre for media art in the Netherlands and supported the creation of video art in a period when the Dutch video art movement was still struggling with the challenges of acknowledging video art as an art form. Since 1995 she teaches in Amsterdam at the Fine Arts departement of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie.
Reception within the Netherlands (notable group exhibitions)
Negen (Nine) Witte de With organized the group exhibition Negen (Nine) in 1991 to present the qualities of contemporary art in the Netherlands at the time. Chris Dercon and Gosse Oosterhof who curated the exhibition, stated that there was little in Dutch art to get excited about. The artworks in the show were exceptions and transcended “such vague notions as regionalism and nationalism.” After its debut in Rotterdam the exhibition travelled to three other venues in Europe: the Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci in Prato, the Kunstverein in Düsseldorf and the Provinciaal Museum in Hasselt.
According to Lynne Cooke most participating artists were involved in continuing a longstanding tradition centering in on seventeenth-century Dutch art. The art historian referenced The Art of Describing: Dutch Art in the Seventeenth Century by Svetlana Alpers. Among other artworks Forma Lucis III (1986), Forma Lucis IX (1989) and Untitled (So That I Can Build For Him A House no. 4) (1990) by Roos Theuws were part of the exhibition. Lynne Cooke claimed the visual inspection, empirical curiosity and the objective scrutiny of the eye explored in the artworks were “directed to ends that bypass symbol and allegory, leaving apprehension in the realm of sensation, of the seen.”Ibidem, p. 13 Curator Jan van Adrichem claimed that the installations by Roos Theuws expressed the artist's interest in the visual properties of light.Ibidem, p. 47
IMAGO, fin de siècle in Dutch art Forma Lucis VI (1989) by Roos Theuws was part of the exhibition IMAGO. It was a traveling exhibition, financed by the Rijksdienst Beeldende Kunst (The Netherlands Office for Fine Arts), about contemporary art and technology. For the exhibition, René Coelho brought together the work of 14 Dutch artists who all believed that the creative potential of contemporary technology should be explored. At the end of the twentieth century artists wanted to show that the "efficient, dominating and massifying products of electronics" could be used for more beautiful and imaginative purposes.Ibidem, p. 12 These artworks were shown in venues in Switzerland, Japan, Slovakia, Hungary, Portugal, Spain and Taiwan.
The catalogue of the exhibition contains a dialogue between sociologist and media researcher Volker Grassmuck and economist and philosopher Asada Akira. The latter argues that contemporary media art consisted of a critical analysis of the system of representation. According to Asada Akirta the relationship between contemporary art and technology was similar to the relationship in the seventeenth century between the artworks by Vermeer and the research by Christiaan Huyghens and Van Leeuwenhoek who laid the foundation for optics.
Collaborations Roos Theuws worked with Kasia Glowicka, who composed music for the artwork CONVOLUTION KERNEL II (2008). The collaboration also went the other way, with Glowicka's live performance Quasi Rublev (2009) being accompanied by visuals from video artists, including by Roos Theuws. Also was the composition Luminescence (2009) inspired by Roos Theuws' concept of light.
The departement of optics at Universiteit van Amsterdam are credited for their help for in an artwork from 1984. To make the artwork Kitab al Manazir (2014), Roos Theuws worked with the collection from the science museum Museum Boerhaave.
Overview of artworks +Non-exhaustive list of artworks:YearTitleIn collection ofIdentifierFormat / MaterialsSize2006GAUSSIAN BLURsingle channel video14''2007FRIGHTFLIGHTFIGHTsingle channel video3.15''2007CONVOLUTION KERNEL Imultichannel video50.15''2008CONVOLUTION KERNEL IImultichannel video15''2005THE HAZARD RATE 1single channel video4'2005THE HORSESMITHtwo channel video4.07''2005THE HAZARD RATE 2single channel video3.15''1997214 SLAGENsingle channel video2.07''2005VOYAGER Ic-print192,5 x 129 cm2005VOYAGER IIc-print192,5 x 129 cm2005VOYAGER IIIc-print192,5 x 129 cm2005VOYAGER IVc-print192,5 x 129 cm2005WANGANUI Imuseum Huis MarseilleHMA-2007-13c-print192,5 x 129,5 cm2005WANGANUI IImuseum Huis MarseilleHMA-2007-14c-print192,5 x 129,5 cmWANGANUI IIIc-print192,5 x 129,5 cmWANGANUI IVc-print192,5 x 129,5 cmHET BEHOUDEN HUYS Ic-print2002BEG, SCREAM & SHOUTBalthasarschans, Gemeente Zoetemeer2154cast aluminium, basaltstones1998BEG, SCREAM & SHOUTvideo-installation, (216 beats), 2 beamersCATCH ON THE REBOUNDhospital linen, iron frame with hook, latex, roofmate270 x 50 x 50 cm1985FORMA LUCIS IIStedelijk Museum AmsterdamBA 4036(1-4)_239videosculpture129 x 80 x 90 cm1986FORMA LUCIS IIIBonnefantenmuseum10035672 monitors, multiplex 15 minutes and 210 x 120 x 90 cm1991Heart & EyesBonnefantenmuseum1003723cast aluminium, aluminium tubes, wax299 x 103 x 66 cm1987Zonder titelBonnefantenmuseum1003529glas, aluminium, steel, varnish115 x 219 x 4 cm1993Zonder titelBonnefantenmuseum1004067wood, styren-butadien rubber, handmade white gesso paint, clamps140 x 100 x 55 cm1990FORMA LUCIS V2 monitors, videosculpture, perspex, wood1989FORMA LUCIS VIRijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed and LIMAinv. nr. K90112 A-GPlywood, glass, paint, 2 CRT monitors, 2 video files, media players65 x 105 x 83 cm & 65 x 195 x 83 cm, 21'33" & 8'00"1991FORMA LUCIS IXRijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoedglass, wood, perspex, video, 2 monitors65 x 88 x 112 cm1994FORMA LUCIS XIII (DIE GESCHEITERTE HOFFNUNG)204 x 237 x 205 cm1997UNEQUAL THINGS MEASURED BY EACH OTHERStedelijk Museum Amsterdam1999.1.0114(1-3)video + monitor, wax, roofmate, hospital linen, iron frame, hook, wire300 x 475 x 600 cm1993O & EStedelijk Museum Amsterdam1993.1.0303iron, wood, aluminium, rubber tubing, lamps, electricity wire, fluorescent light-tubes135 x 280.5 x 200 cm1994SO THAT I CAN BUILD FOR HIM A HOUSEiron, rotating motor on timer, stainless steel mill, text1996WO EIS IST, IST KÜHLE FÜR ZWEIiron tableframe, axe, wire, roofmate, hospital linen240 x 180 x 190 cm1993FIRST STEPSaluminium, red rubber tubing, clips, coasters97 x 180 x 188 cm1993TUMBLED OVER RIMiron, wood, aluminium, rubber tubing, lamps, electricity wire, monitor120 x 280 x 200 cm1994ROGIER V.D. WEIJDENsteel, monitor, rubber tubing220 x 240 x 90 cm1998WALL Ipapier-mâché, wood, chicken wire270 x 180x 60 cm1999BALANCING WALLpapier-mâché, chicken wire, wood, steel beam, small monitor280 x 260 x 70 cm19982 WALLSpapier-mâché, chicken wire, coasters, wood220 x 190 x 44 cm and 210 x 170 x 70 cm1990SO THAT I CAN BUILD FOR HIM A HOUSE (2)iron, stainless steel, text, motor with interval circuit, cable51 x 56 x 105 cm1994ZONDER TITELhospital linen, parafinne, styrofoam, steel construction, rubber tubing170 x 160 x 90 cm1994UNTITLED (ST.JOHN)hospital linen, parafinne, styrofoam, steel construction, different types of rubber tubing185 x 170x 90 cm2017UntitledAkzoNobel Art Collectionphotography1988ZONDER TITELStedelijk Museum Amsterdam1988.4.0400painting26 x 156 x 2 cm1991ZONDER TITELStedelijk Museum Amsterdam1994.1.0223aluminium, rubber tubing, caps198 x 102 x 62 cm1986ZONDER TITELMuseum Boijmans van Beuningen3152 a-b (MK)color photography on aluminium155 x 50 x 4 cm1992ZONDER TITELMuseum Boijmans van BeuningenBEK 1663 (MK)wood, rubber, steel, white gesso layer120 x 140 x 80 cm1989AnaklasisRijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed and LIMA1984Zonder titel geen geluidRijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed2016The Same Sun2016Miroir Noir2 video projections on plexiglas2012Fences and Pools2-channel video installation with 3 soundtracks2014Kitab al Manazir (Book of Optics)3-channel video installation with 1 soundtrack21 minutes2014KaM0012014KaM0022014KaM0032014KaM2002014KaM4002014KaM10002007Convolution Kernel 42001Om vier uur in de ochtendarmature, papier-mâché, video projection251 x 198 x 110 cm2020Mercurial Dominionmetal construction, disassembled iMac, video140 x 276 x 93 cmIphotowork122 x 176 cmZonder titelphotowork122 x 192 cmUnequal Times Measured by One Another1987Forma Lucis IISiliciumA New WorldUnsusceptibleObservationHerrnchiemsee, für Ludwig2018SkinBinaryDas Zeigende Zeigen 2020Ardalanish/Binary Unequal Times Measured by One Another 2assemble1870
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions +Non-exhaustive list of solo exhibitions:YearTitleVenueCity1982Experiments with smells ‘Greenish’StadsschouwburgMaastricht1988Forma Lucis VGemeentemuseumArnhemGalerie Van GelderAmsterdam1994Tumbled Over RimMuseum Boijmans Van BeuningenRotterdam1989Galerie STAMPABasel1989Haags Centrum voor Actuele KunstDen Haag1991SculpturesKunstvereniging DiepenheimDiepenheim1998Roos TheuwsStedelijk Museum Bureau AmsterdamAmsterdam2006Hazard RateGalerie RAMRotterdam2008VideoloungeRotterdam2009Gaudeamus Muziekweek (in cooperation with VocaalLAB Nederland)Muziekgebouw aan 't IJAmsterdam2009Cooperation with Jaqueline de Lucanet (Le merle Noir, Messiaen)Muziekgebouw aan 't IJAmsterdam2009Art AmsterdamRAIAmsterdam2014Roos TheuwsSlewe GalleryAmsterdam2017DUALsSlewe GalleryAmsterdam
Group exhibitions +Non-exhaustive list of group exhibitions:YearTitleVenueCity1983Time Based ArtsAmsterdam1984Festival International du Nouveau Cinema et de la VideoMontreal, Amsterdam, Zurich, Geneva1984Festival International de l'Art VideoLocarnp1985As far as Amsterdam goes....Stedelijk MuseumAmsterdam1985Image on the Run (on tour)The KitchenNew York1986Videowochen im WenkenparkVideogenossenschaft BaselBasel1987ContourMuseum Het PrinsenhofDelft1987Forma Lucis IIIBonnefantenmuseumMaastricht1987Forma Lucis IVMuseum Boijmans Van BeuningenRotterdam1989Vision and RevisionDanforth MuseumBoston1989Video-Skulptur: retrospektiv und aktuell 1963-1989Kölnischer Kunstverein & Dumont KunsthalleKöln198925 Jahre VideoSkulpturKongresshalleBerlin1990Dutch InteriorsBiennale TokyoTokyo1990IMAGO, fin de siècle in Dutch contemporary artKunstRAIAmsterdamVideo Art Festival de LocarnoLocarno1991Hara Museum of Contemporary ArtTokyoDom KultúryBratislavaMűcsarnokBudapestPalau de la VirreinaBarcelona1992Edifício da AlfândegaPorto1993Taipei Fine Arts MuseumTaipei1991PolisetPadiglione d'Arte ContemporaneaFerrara1991NegenWitte de WithRotterdam9 artisti olandesi contemporaneiCentro per l'Arte Contemporanea Luigi PecciPrato10 junge Künstler aus den NiederlandenKunstverein für die Rheinlande und WestfalenDüsseldorf1992NegenProvinciaal MuseumHasselt1993Right of SpeechNoordbrabants MuseumDen Bosch1995Triennale Kleinplastik 1995: Europa - Ostasien.SüdwestLB ForumStuttgart1996De Muze als MotorDe Pont MuseumTilburg1999Glad IJsStedelijk MuseumAmsterdam2000Galerie GmurzynskaKöln2002Collectie Boijmans Van BeuningenMuseum De LakenhalLeiden2002Beelden in de Nieuwe KerkStedelijk MuseumAmsterdam2004De 80-jarenBonnefantenmuseumMaastricht20072MOVE/ Migratory AestheticsSala Verónicas and Centro PárragaMurcia2008ZuiderzeemuseumEnkhuizenStenersen MuseetOsloSolstice Arts CentreNavanBelfast ExposedBelfast2008Creatures from the Collection and Other ThemesHuis MarseilleAmsterdam2008InertiaW139Amsterdam2010Digital? Analogue!Huis MarseilleAmsterdam2011Convolution Kernel 2Galerie Paul AndriesseAmsterdam2020Meanwhile...Slewe GalleryAmsterdam