“The Space Between” is Casper Faassen’s first solo exhibition at Bildhalle Amsterdam. After a solo presentation in Zurich (2021) and a series of important art fairs such as Photo London or Art Rotter-dam, Bildhalle and the artist deepen their collaboration with the presentation of works created by Casper Faassen especially for this exhibition. The show offers the opportunity to discover the full range of his multi-layered œuvre: portraits, movement studies of male and female dancers, and explorations of the nude, landscapes and still lifes.

The title of the exhibition refers to central aspects of Faassen’s work: the distance he maintains from the photographed object, the multi-layered nature – both in terms of craft and content – and the space between these layers that defines what is visible and what is not.

Casper Faassen draws inspiration from the Japanese concept of “Ma”, understood as negative space or emptiness in space. But “Ma” is not just emptiness, it is also the space between two dancers in a duet, the space between two works, or the silence that occurs just before someone begins to speak. For Faassen, the magic lies precisely in these voids and pauses. This exploration of negative space allows him and us to focus on certain aspects of life and art. It’s like turning-off certain senses in order to sharpen others.

Casper Faassen (*1975, NL) grew up in Leiden. It was here that he developed his passion for drawing, painting and art. Famous Leiden artists Gerrit Dou (1613-1675), Jan Steen (1625-1679) and Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) were his inspiration. After leaving high school Faassen studied at the University of Amsterdam. He continued to pursue his artistic ambitions, painting daily and thus compiling an impressive oeuvre. The influence of Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) in his work – in particular his (female) nudes – can be seen clearly in both subject matter and strong line definition. Characteristic of Faassen‘s works is his continued innovative utilization of material, techniques and disciplines.

In addition to painting and graphic art, Faassen devotes much of his time to the medium of photography. It is in his photographic work that we once again see the 17th century Leiden painters who inspired him. His distinctive works depict the classic 17th century themes such as cityscapes, vanitas paintings and flower arrangements. By combining photography with painted layers, Faassen could be described as either a photographing painter or painting photographer. Reflecting on his entire œuvre, themes such as transience and beauty but also feminine splendour, form the basis of his work.

Faassen was awarded Talent of the Year in the Dutch national Artist of the Year competition in 2007. In 2019, he won the ALPA Award at Photo Basel. His work has been exhibited widely at international fairs and museums such as Photo London, Art Paris, AIPAD New York, Photofairs Shanghai, Art Rotterdam, the Japan museum Sieboldhuis or the Museum Hilversum. His work is acquired by both private and public collections such as Museum de Lakenhal (Leiden), Frans Hals Museum (Haarlem), the Royal Library (The Hague) and Haagsch Historisch Museum (The Hague).

Grand Opening in the presence of the artist: March 16, 18:00 – 21:00 H
Willemsparkweg 134, Amsterdam