Jan Kryszons
Visual artist Kryszons creates multi-media installations, and develops social art projects and interventions in public space. In various ways, and through various media, he creates art that also functions outside of exhibition spaces, thereby construing an exchange between the viewer and his work.
Recent projects include: 'Bankjewel,' in which he incorporated Amsterdammertjes (small steel posts to separate the street from the sidewalk) into benches to make the street a meeting place again; 'Written on the Body' (in the series Tussenstop, Dordrecht Museum, 2010) in which the artist had works from the museum's collection converted into tattoos by Tattoo Opa, and four Dordrechters carry these works into the public space.
"I'm a trained sculptor, but in my practice as an artist I work in different fields. For me, art is a possibility to respond to social issues in my own way. Recently I've been engaged with multiple issues, including the role of youth in urban development, the use of public space and the relationship between art and art audience. I approach each new project as an assignment that's formulated by the community or by myself. My work's initialization is characterized by the following steps: I signal or formulate a question and/or problem, I survey a number of solutions, and eventually open these up to comments from the community. To reach my goal, I tend to form collaborations rather than working alone. My signature is sometimes more apparent in the idea and concept, than in the physical implementation."
In addition to his artistic work, Kryszons curates exhibitions, and is co-founder of the art project Sued-West Labor in Bergheim (2008-2010, Germany). In this neighborhood project, young people from this deprived area gave shape to their own ideas about society and urban development, supported by new media technologies. For two years, a series of intensive workshops and presentations were developed together with the young people. This resulted in short videos, interactive scale models, and a mobile hangout for different groups of young locals, among other.
After acquiring his degree in Art and English Literature at Siegen University, Kryszons graduated from the Düsseldorf Art Academy (class of Magdalena Jetelova) in 2004.
Together with Katja Diallo, he's the driving force behind Noordkaap.
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