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Daan Russcher (1995) has been fascinated from a young age by industrial estates, port areas and traffic intersections. These are non-places on the margins of the city: unremarkable locations that seem to evade the established order and the polished appearance of the urban centre. Often defined by mobility and impermanence, they bear visible traces of erosion and decay. It is precisely these sites that Russcher – who studied civil engineering before attending art school – elevates. By zooming in and isolating details from their surroundings, he draws attention to their unintended and often overlooked beauty. In his hands, corrosion, flaking paint and ageing structures are transformed into abstract compositions.
Russcher initially focused on photography. The photographs now form the basis for scenographic elements with which he constructs spatial installations. He describes this approach as a form of ‘reversed architecture’, positioning himself between artist and architect. As Russcher explains: ‘I am interested in the malleability of architecture and the boundary between the unsightly and the aesthetic.’
For the series at Prospects, Russcher extends the notion of decay to the presentation itself. The jagged contours of his photographs – cut using a laser – create the impression that the battered, crumbling walls themselves have been framed. This sense of estrangement is further heightened by the partially weathered and damaged frames.
Written by: Esther Darley