Len Tempel, Temple of Spring
Paradys, Oranjewoud Friesland, May-August 2022
LEN TEMPEL / Temple of Spring
May 2022, Oranjewoud Friesland. Paradys
Glazed Ceramics, Wood, Plaster, Acrylics.
Len Tempel is an ode to the first green sprouts that pop up after darkness, after winter, after death. This spring energy that brings new life and light is the energy that all my works arise from, and this temple is an ode to this part of the cycles of life.
Whenever I don’t feel good I tell myself or others ‘I need to get into my egg’ (‘Ik moet even in mijn ei’). This egg is for me a metaphor for an imaginary inner space in myself where I can crawl into and shut off the busy chaotic outerworld. Now, I made this egg for real, so that everyone can enter, not only me. Inside a beautiful old little house inside the fairytale-like forest of Oranjewoud Friesland, I built a temple. Together with the loving help of the hands of my dad, my mom and friends, my imaginary egg came to life in the physical world. A barbapapa/cave/egg chapel/temple space where you can walk into, and sit down to have some time for yourself.
An egg shaped temple that allows you to enter into an innerworld that is full of love and safety. Inside the temple there are hundreds of eyes of little creatures staring at you, being there for you as little friends that support you. I hope when you are inside this bubble,inside this egg, you can drop all your protective walls that have been growing around your heart during your adult-life, and that you can leave your conceptual mind and open yourself up to experiencing life with the eyes of a child.
After being inside the egg, you look through the opening into the garden. Where the luscious abundant green world of nature greets you with its beauty. Huge candy like stones lay around as if a giant child has been playing. I hope you can see the world with new eyes, when you enter ‘the real world’ again.
To see that paradise is not something that lies somewhere else, happens after death or doesn’t exist. But to feel that Paradise is here, all around you, in nature, in the childlike curiosity to life that lies within all of us, in the beauty of every object or sculpture and the ability to feel connected to anything that surrounds us. Paradise is here. As long as you believe in it.
These works where made during my residence at EKWC (European Ceramics Work Centre), Feb - May 2022.
Part of the exhibition PARADYS.
'Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens'
7th may - 15th august, Oranjewoud, Friesland.
Groupshow outdoor and indoor curated by Hans den Hartog Jager, reflecting on the concept of 'Paradise'.
Participating artists:
Diane Scherer, Gregor Schneider, Alicja Kwade, Charles Avery, Kasper Bosmans, Marianne Simnett, Renzo Martens, Erik van Lieshout, Augustas Seripinas, Mercedes Azpilicueta, Jakob Kudsk Steensen,
Alexandra Pirici, Em’kal Eyongakpa.
More info: Paradys
Read articles about the exhibition: