Is an object in front of you fundamentally different from when you see its reflection in a shop window? And how do you relate to the reflection of the object's shadow on the floor? In “Crankin” up the afterglow', Roos van Haaften explores the suggestive nature of non-material manifestations, such as reflection and projection.
She takes found construction waste, glass and mirrors out of their function and rearranges them in the space. Illuminated by theatre lights, reflections and shadows appear on the walls: a reflection of mental images. The installations refer to architecture, or human construction in desolate landscapes.
In the large space at De Groen, Van Haaften displays an abstract architectural work that was created on location in a short period of time. The work is a suggestion for redesigning the space, not only physically around you, but also in your head. A visual virtuality.
Her smaller work shows more figurative landscapes, in which everyday objects found on the street are displayed on a glass plate. When illuminated, they transform, like shadows, into a new scene.
Van Haaften combines fragments of personal memories, historical and current images to create new images. In doing so, she chooses images that raise questions about reality versus fiction, and prioritise illusion. A fragmentary reality that is constantly in the making.
The work refers to the origins of photography as the casting of shadows. However, Van Haaften's lighting does not take place in the camera, but outside it. Her installations can be compared to an open SLR camera: by exposing through mirrors and glass and blocking part of the light, an ephemeral light image takes shape. While her installations are temporary and fleeting, she has recently translated this principle into a permanent form by capturing fragments of the installations on light-sensitive paper in the darkroom.
