↳ Exhibitions

Michiel Ceulers and Jorge Peris at Nicodim

December 10, 2020

Artists: Michiel Ceulers, Jorge Peris

Exhibition title: Endangered Species

Venue: Nicodim, Bucharest, Romania

Date: September 24 – December 5, 2020

Photography: all images copyright and courtesy of the artists and Nicodim, Bucharest

Toward the end of the Anthropocene, a perfect virus forced humans to physically isolate themselves from one another. While fires scorched the earth and hurricanes and rising temperatures flattened and flooded it, the dominant species instead focused inward, searching for confirmation that all of this was happening for a reason, and that they could not only save their livelihoods, but achieve spiritual salvation in doing so. What will redeem us when science preaches an irreversible entropy of our own making, they cried into the polluted, disease-ridden atmosphere.

The earth answered: more pestilence, more destruction.

Endangered Species is an exploration of the way things were just before The End became recognizably imminent. Michiel Ceulers and Jorge Peris are ghost sharks, Invisible Men foraging through the darkness after the electricity runs out. Ceulers’ sculptural, Rube Goldberg-ian mousetraps would be comically cruel if they were functional in the least; they become relics of extinct belief structures in their immediate obsolescence. His wall-bound works are bricolages of found objects, acrylic paint, and partially remembered idioms. A canary in the coalmine may well be a living buffer from unseeable invaders, but it is also a charming companion. Peris creates the coalmine itself, repurposing modernist pots and furniture into shelters and altars, reminding us that the modern is already ancient history when salt stalactites are leaking through the ceiling and the floor is littered with the fossilized bronze bones of one’s former companions.

Michiel Ceulers (b. 1986, Waregem, Belgium) lives and works in Ghent, Belgium and Berlin, Germany. Ceulers graduated from the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam in 2011. Recent exhibitions include Michiel Ceulers and Jorge Peris: Endangered Species, Galeria Nicodim, Bucharest (2020); A Fair Proposal, Barbara Seiler, Zurich, Switzerland (2019); Wenn es zittert wie ein Ente, DASH, Kortrijk, Belgium (2017, solo); LAURA (Ein bisschen Schnitzel in Magen war mir lieber als ein Vogel in den Himmel), Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2015, solo); ’The man who mistake his wife for a hat,’ Juliette Jongma, Amsterdam (2014, solo); ‘Der Charme einer vorbeigehenden Frau steht in der Regel in direktem Verhältnis zu dem Tempo ihres Ganges,’ Nogueras Blanchard, Madrid (2014, solo); Rien de plus qu’un théâtre d’idées fluctuantes et des échos de développements future, Arts Club, London (2014, solo); Wenn Kneipen-Debatten als Kritik zählen, Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles (2013, solo); In-Discipline, Bonnefanten museum Roermond, Roermond, Holland (2013); een être ET ne pas en être, GeM – Museum voor Actuele Kunst, The Hague (2013); Rasterfahndung, Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Stuttgart (2012).

Jorge Peris (born Alzira, Valencia, 1969) lives and works in El Palmar, Valencia, Spain and Bucharest, Romania. Recent exhibitions include Dark Man a lomos del Pájaro de Fuego, Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, Valencia (2020, solo); Michiel Ceulers and Jorge Peris: Endangered Species, Galeria Nicod-im, Bucharest (2020); On the Ground, Luis Adelantado, Valencia, Spain (2020); Pineal Eye Infection, curated by Aaron Moulton, Seasons, Los Angeles (2020); Adam’s Resurrection, Sandwich Gallery, Bucharest, Romania (2019, solo); Al norte de la tormenta, MAXXI Museum, Rome, Italy (2019); Art Contemporani de la Generalitat Valenciana, Peça 19, Museum of Fine Arts of Castelló, Castelló, Spain (2019); Our Lady of the Flowers, Galeria Nicodim, Bucharest (2018); The Hierophant, Galeria Nicodim, Bucharest (2017); and Olmo 2017, Luis Adelantado, Valencia, Spain (2017, solo).

Michiel Ceulers and Jorge Peris, Endangered Species, 2020, exhibition view, Nicodim, Bucharest

Jorge Peris, El Rincon de Mihai, 2020, graphite, ceramic, rubber, glass, copper sulphate, e-cigarettes, turkey feathers, 317.50h x 254w x 355.60d cm, 125h x 100w x 140d in

Jorge Peris, Tribute to Gaudi, embarrased at dawn after a crazy party in Bucharest, 2020, mixed media sculptural installation, 160h x 220w x 230d cm, 62.99h x 86.61w x 90.55d in

Jorge Peris, Nocturna para Onorina, 2020, terra-cotta, glass, clay, salt, copper sulfate, wine, oysters, bone, water, 330h x 220w x 360d cm, 129.92h x 86.61w x 141.73d in

Jorge Peris, Quemàndose el alma, 2020, iron, salt, glass, rope, plastic, acids, wine, water, seeds, tree root, 730h x 600w x 490d cm, 287.40h x 236.22w x 192.91d in

Jorge Peris, Femur, Andreea, 2020, bronze, 43.18h x 111.76w x 43.18d cm, 17h x 44w x 17d in

Jorge Peris, Fèmur, bastòn, 2020, bronze, dimensions variable

Jorge Peris, Tres, femur, 2020, bronze, 20h x 124w x 17d cm, 7.87h x 48.82w x 6.69d in

Michiel Ceulers, Round brackets (also called parentheses, especially in American English), 2020, gloss paint, spray paint and oil on canvas, 30h x 30w cm, 11.81h x 11.81w in

Michiel Ceulers, Hunnefeier (Chickpea painting), 2020, gloss paint, spray paint and oil on canvas, 40h x 40w cm, 15.75h x 15.75w in

Michiel Ceulers, Dictionnaire français-anglais et moteur de recherche de traductions, 2019-2020, oil on canvas; artist frame cardboard, 42h x 36w cm, 16.54h x 14.17w in

Michiel Ceulers, Boots the House down / the wall have ears, 2020, gloss paint, mirrors, collage on wood; artist cardboard frame, 54h x 72w cm, 21.26h x 28.35w in

Michiel Ceulers, Die Welt des Kanarienvogels (The theory of the World), 2016-2020, gloss, spray paint, oil, glitter, and mirrors on wood, 65h x 51w cm, 25.59h x 20.08w in

Michiel Ceulers, double-sided drawing / Camera Ready, Like a Dream, 2020, oil, acrylic, encaustic, mirrors and medium on wood in artist made frame of cardboard and Perspex, 82h x 62w cm, 32.28h x 24.41w in

Michiel Ceulers, L’art est plagiat ou révolution, ce qui importe est le lien entre l’expression et la chose, 2020, Latex, spray paint, and oil on wood; artist made cardboard frame, 51h x 46w cm, 20.08h x 18.11w in

Michiel Ceulers, Corpse After Negating Visual Art Strategies (C.A.N.V.A.S.), 2020, acrylic, spray paint and oil on wood, wooden bar, artist made Styrofoam frame, cadapac and caulk, 58h x 52w cm, 22.83h x 20.47w in

Michiel Ceulers, Schwules Babys / Liza Minelli est une traîtresse, 2017-2020, oil, encaustic, acrylic, caulk, staples on milk cardboard on wood, 48.50h x 71.50w cm, 19.09h x 28.15w in

Michiel Ceulers, Une allégorie du ready-made où les artistes qui peignent abandonnent leurs pinceaux pour choisir des objets du quotidien comme le peigne (DA DA DA.), 2020, oil, encaustic, spray paint, combs, and caulk on wood in artist made Styrofoam frame, 59h x 46w cm, 23.23h x 18.11w in

Michiel Ceulers, Section 215 is the canary in the coalmine, 2020, oil, acrylic, spray paint on wood, mirror in artist made cardboard and Styrofoam frame, 50h x 49w cm, 19.69h x 19.29w in

Michiel Ceulers, Lotto gelük, 2018-2020, oil on canvas in artist made cardboard frame, 51h x 45w cm, 20.08h x 17.72w in

Michiel Ceulers, Le fils de John Lennon habillé comme une femme (Chickpea painting), 2018-2020, oil on canvas in artist made cardboard frame, 53h x 60w cm, 20.87h x 23.62w in

Michiel Ceulers, Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un faune (Born Slippy), 2017, plastic lids, screws, lacquer, and canvas on wood frame, 67h x 60w cm, 26.38h x 23.62w in

Michiel Ceulers, Painting as a surface to bounce one back into the world (rejection), 2018, acrylic sign painting, screws, varnish, oil on wood, 55h x 50w cm, 21.65h x 19.69w in

Michiel Ceulers, die Geschichte, wie die industrielle Brauerei in Brüssel ankam und wie sie wieder abreiste, 2018-, 2020, gloss paint, mirrors, and oil on canvas on wood, 152.40h x 132.08w cm, 60h x 52w in

Michiel Ceulers, Sisters of Mercy + Special Guest: Therapy?, 2017, Dymo strips, screws, tape, paper and latex on canvas in artist cardboard frame, 49h x 150w cm, 19.29h x 59.06w in

Michiel Ceulers, Der Satellit des Jupiter, der schönste aller Sterblichen, 2020, acrylic, oil and gloss paint on wood and cardboard, stuffed teddy bear in artist made cardboard frame, 60h x 60w cm, 23.62h x 23.62w in

Michiel Ceulers, The return of the dead mother with new problems, 2017-2020, oil, spray paint and collage on wood in artist made cardboard frame, 57h x 55w cm, 22.44h x 21.65w in

Michiel Ceulers, internationale Gemeinschaft für gegenseitige Hilfe, 2017-2020, gloss paint, caulk, and cardboard on Styrofoam canvas on wood, 80h x 65w cm, 31.50h x 25.59w in

Michiel Ceulers, Schildkröten Knochen / Turtle Bones (négation par traduction), 2018-2020, gloss paint, posca marker, wood on canvas and wood, 86h x 75.50w cm, 33.86h x 29.72w in

Michiel Ceulers, Time to Sing Like a Canary / John Travolta in cage, 2018-2020, gloss, acrylic, oil, metal lids, found objects on wood inserted in canvas frame, 150h x 120w cm, 59.06h x 47.24w in

Michiel Ceulers, Hans Ulrich Obrist und die Lubetkin Penguin Pool, 2020, oil, gloss paint, mirrors, Styrofoam and medium on canvas, 100h x 70w cm, 39.37h x 27.56w in

Michiel Ceulers, Exorcism of overdue whimsy / post modern archetype, 2018-2020, gloss, acrylic, oil, caulk on wood and canvas inserted in canvas frame, 125h x 120w cm, 49.21h x 47.24w in

Michiel Ceulers, Title VII, 2020, acrylic, latex, oil, and lids on canvas on wood in artist made cadapac frame, 60h x 60w cm, 23.62h x 23.62w in

Michiel Ceulers, Von den kanonischen Figuren, die noch unter dem Abstrakten Expressionismus in einen Topf geworfen werden, ist Reinhardt einer der wenigen, zu denen ich mich verbunden fühle, 2010-2017, reclaimed sign painting, dispersion on canvas, 300h x 200w cm, 118.11h x 78.74w in

Michiel Ceulers, Autoportrait avec des sous-vêtements de merde et l’île Maurice bleue / Bleibild, 2010-2017, reclaimed sign painting, dispersion on canvas, 300h x 200w cm, 118.11h x 78.74w in

Michiel Ceulers, Les Premiers Jours du Printemps, 2010-2017, reclaimed sign painting, dispersion on canvas, 300h x 200w cm, 118.11h x 78.74w in

Michiel Ceulers, Drei minimale sculpturen in raum, 2018-2020, gloss paint, mirrors, collage on wood in artist made cardboard frame, 53h x 60w cm, 20.87h x 23.62w in

Michiel Ceulers, Pearl hunder Malerei, 2020, gloss paint, spray paint and oil on canvas on cardboard, 26h x 37w cm, 10.24h x 14.57w in

Michiel Ceulers, Pearl thrown random in a space, 2020, gloss paint, spray paint and oil on canvas, 43h x 53w cm, 16.93h x 20.87w in

Michiel Ceulers, Buchstabieren jeder Buchstabe, 2020, gloss paint, caulk, Styrofoam, and gummy letters on canvas on wood in artist made cardboard frame, 80h x 65.50w cm, 31.50h x 25.79w in

Michiel Ceulers, The Last Song / Boy Blue / Together Again / Three letters took him to his final resting place (TLC Waterfalls), 2020, latex, gloss paint, oil, wood, Perspex, and gummy letters on canvas, 80h x 60w cm, 31.50h x 23.62w in

Michiel Ceulers, Paris Latino / ABC Rio / Riot (Run Run), 2018-2020, acrylic sign painting, screws, varnish, oil on wood, 75h x 60w cm, 29.53h x 23.62w in