address :

Home page : http://www.van-horn.net/

Home page Language : English

E-mail :VAN-HORN@GMX.NET

Tel : +49 - (0)172 - 23 55 55 7

From "about" page of VAN HORN web site

A short trip at the beginning

Van Horn is a small town at the border of Texas and Mexico, near Marfa, the site of the Chinati Foundation founded by Donald Judd. In Chinati Judd realized his idea of an ideal place for art. With the artist project Van Horn I want to create my own ideal place for artists and their art. The name Van Horn seemed to be a good choice for me to symbolize the energy of my project, because of it's geographic location at the border of two very contrary countries, as well as it‘s closeness to Marfa.

What is Van Horn

The Van Horn art-and exhibition project was founded by me, Daniela Steinfeld, in 2004 . I'm an artist and photographer from Duesseldorf, Germany. As I am myself an artist, I‘m especially interested in widening the artistic landscape and the communicative paths about art. This concerns the local discussion within Duesseldorf, as well as the possibility to work in national and international relations. For this reason one of the focal points of my initiative consists of bringing international artists and their work to Germany and vice versa. The idea to initiate an art project, which also functions as an open forum for other artists, has been on my mind for quite some time. I believe that it is crucial, especially as an artist, to provide a field for exchange, discussion and growth. To invite other artists and work with them is as important to me as doing my own visual work in the studio or elsewhere. Both belong to my artistic aims.

Van Horn moves simultaneously on several levels. First there is the space itself, in which regular exhibitions are shown as statements about art. The second level consists of the happenings and events which are staged during the exhibitions as, amongst other things, filmscreenings, talks and performances . I conceive the space to be very open and hospitable. The aims and hopes for the arrangements are to bring people, artists and art lovers together and enable talks and the exchange of ideas. Van Horn shall serve as catalyst for further developments. A third level consists, through the impulses of the exhibitions and events, of developing collaborative artistic works. That means that I regularly invite artists to show and develop their own works during the time of the exhibitions. The whole project is like a big collaborative work of all participants. I am host, participating artist and mediator, in one person.

The Space / The Exhibitions

With the exhibitions and happenings which are taking place in the space I want to generate new and unexpected impulses in the art scene and in the discussion about art. Therefore in the beginning it‘s very important to show positions and attitudes which are relevant to art, but not necessarily created by people that work in the so-called "art context". My interest is with provocative, challenging art, like Underground Art, Grotesque Art, Psychological Art. Art by creators that cross the threshold between contemporary art and something else, be it comics, music, mysticism or their own obsessions. All this is the art that drives me, makes me curious and conveys another picture of the human mind and it‘s diversity to the spectator. My space wants to close the gap between the „off-spaces“ and the established institutions. I want to communicate on a regular basis with the artists as well as with the institutions, to make the existing enthusiasm about art and culture more conscious, to use it and spread it more widely.

In my art concept all exhibitions build on each other, different aspects of art communicate with each other and the spectator. Only the works are not shown together at the same time, but in the same space at different times. The exhibition projects are all interrelated and each work is like an answer or echo to the other presented works.

I want to do something that matters and that contributes a new flavour to the big dish of art. The exhibitions are the center and occasion for further activities in and around the Van Horn space. Nevertheless Van Horn is not limited to the space. Van Horn is a concept, an attitude towards art, which can manifest itself in various ways. Van Horn is basically mobile and can also travel; wherever I am Van Horn is present. The boundlessness of Van Horn is important to me. It manifests itself, amongst other things, in the variety of the participating artists. It is as important to spread the ideas behind Van Horn beyond Duesseldorf and Germany, respectively to make Duesseldorf and German art and artists seeable outside of local limitations. Also this will be part of the Van Horn art project. Van Horn will travel to different cities and regions, exchanging with the residing creative people.



It would be great to see some of you some time.
best wishes! Daniela Steinfeld 2004