Goudji
catalogue exhibition December 2000
| This catalogue has been published at the occasion of Goudji's solo exhibition, 6-21 December 2000, and is compiled and written by Koen Nieuwendijk. (16 pages, 19 full colour reproductions, Dutch/English, ISBN 90-70-402-13-0) |
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The most beautiful paradox in our contemporary world: That is what the Goudji narrative is all about. The story of the past Through contemporary eyes The paradox of enjoyment, sloth and complexity Which used not to exist before: In the old days luxury was never objected to. The basic premises were straightforward: Eat or be eaten There were only a happy few on whom someone like Macchiavelli was not wasted Higher powers as much as their lower counterparts Made a deeper impression with pomp and circumstance, With cruelties and violence, Than with the subtleties we are hopeful to favour |
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Our attention is caught all the more compellingly By Goudji's Spartan luxury We had forgotten How mercilessly beautiful something can be How lustrous and spellbinding Devoid of intellectual baggage By way of argument in any event, for thinking is of all ages No wonder: As a Georgian countryman, Born and bred in an area Where cultures have always flourished And which we feast our eyes on from a distance, Goudji contributes his entire heritage |
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Suddenly the confrontation is there, As if with tangible myths: A goblet holding an entire hall aloft Where the clatter of arms has been silenced for just an instant Where the appreciation of the divine still commands awe Where respect, drawn like a bow, Lets go into a symbol The wheel of time knows beginning nor end Silver spokes blinding our sober brain The tale of riches The perennial object of our desire Wisdom, severity, love, beauty Now captured in silver and precious stones: That is what Goudji has bestowed upon us |
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