Artwork title : What are you looking at?

As spectators, we 'observe the observation'. The painting raises questions such as: What are they looking at? What is the involvement of this group of people?

The artist showed this group of people a slide of videos of seven art students, standing in a clean white space. She asked the group to observe the Others and give their opinion. How old is this person, what’s his/her profession, age, social class etc. All their reactions were captured, put together and painted on a large canvas.

We see smiling people hiding behind hands, confused, and questioning expressions. A thoughtful look attracts attention. There is a certain sequence of emotions due to the repetition of the same person. This changing element of time creates confusion and raises questions. The group does not look for a single second, but takes the time to closely observe what they see. The painting’s spectator also makes this “shameless” observation, judging the people in the painting, by their external features and facial expressions. This creates an interaction between the viewer in the painting and the viewer in front of the painting. Furthermore, the artist paints people on the canvas and constantly evaluates how to depict facial expressions. This point of view adds a gaze and judgment to the work.

Anne-Marije Middag's work revolves around the theme of the gaze and the importance of seeing beyond the surface of things, leaving room for an intimate and delicate interpretation. The moment one observes, a judgment is made. We look at a situation or person with an expectation and an assumption. What if we allow ourselves time to observe?