De Strijd tussen de Utopie en de Nostalgie

by Joël Lammeretz · Weert, NL

This diptych is part of my series 'Village Life' that I exhibited in September 2023 in Weert. This series of paintings consisted of contrasts. Global or local, worldly or village, chaos or peace, conservative or progressive. In 'The Struggle between Utopia and Nostalgia' I question this way of thinking in contrasts. The work is based on 'The Struggle between Lent and Lent Evening' by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, painted in 1559. Just like Lent and Lent Evening at that time, ideas about the past and future hinder each other in our time. A utopia is a dream of the future, often accompanied by a deep-rooted dissatisfaction with the present. Nostalgia is a feeling, but also a carefully constructed image of what once was and what will never return (or a deep-rooted dissatisfaction with the present). I would like to challenge the viewer to look beyond the struggle. It is, after all, a struggle that is deeply rooted in our minds. But that struggle is an illusion. An illusion with far-reaching consequences. Exhibition: https://www.weertdegekste.nl/2023/09/expositie-global-village-van-joel-lammeretz-brengt-dorpsleven-en-globalisering-samen/ The complete series: https://joellammeretz.me/digitale-expositie-global-village/