LB°13 — Artists
ARKIV
Strijdom van der Merwe (b. 1961, South Africa), is an artist based in South Africa.
The inspiration for this work came from the geological phenomenon where rocks move in long tracks along a smooth valley floor without human intervention. They cross borders and place themselves in a new environment just as people scatter away from an established or ancestral homeland and settle in more than one location. On each of these stones, words are installed that reflect notions as diaspora, movement, crossing and migration. The inspiration for these words comes from the philosopher Aristotle, whose school of thinkers was given the name Peripatetic. This school was known for teaching across all borders and was carrying the message of knowledge wherever it went.
Strijdom van der Merwe presents his work frequently at exhibitions and has carried out commissions in Asia, Europe, Australia and Africa. He is the winner of several international art contests and the recipient of various grants and recognitions. As a land artist, he uses the materials provided by the chosen site, and his sculptural forms take shape in relation to the surrounding landscape. He works with the natural world, making use of rocks, sand, water and wood.
Work
Diaspora, installation
Location
Rovaniemi