Thomas van Linge
Thomas van Linge studied at the Royal Academy of Visual Arts in The Hague and at the Kunsthochschule Weissensee in Berlin. His work is represented by Gallery Gabriel Rolt of Amsterdam. This Summer, he will start his master’s programme at the Royal College of Art in London.
Thomas van Linge is fascinated by the relationship between modern society and the natural world, and how a balance can be achieved between them. In his work he revises and manipulates certain ideas about reality and our relationship with the universe and nature. According to Van Linge, by digitising our environment we distance ourselves from nature, as a result of which our perceptions of nature are mainly indirect, e.g. via an application like Google Maps.
Although the works of Van Linge appear fairly analytical and objective, he always has a personal point of departure. During the work process, he gradually distances himself from the object, which eventually starts to live a life of its own. Van Linge often works with industrial materials (steel, cement, polyurethane) and traditional materials such as ceramics: a certain sense of craftsmanship is always evident. His works combine elements from nature, our cultural heritage, pop culture, consumerism and the digital world, the borders of which are becoming increasingly blurred.