Upstream Gallery will be part of the first edition of NAP+, a new boutique art fair that prioritizes quality over quantity.
Located in the heart of Amsterdam, NAP+ offers a vibrant art experience that transcends the traditional art fair model. NAP+'s mission is to create an accessible, affordable, and dynamic platform for emerging and mid-career artists, curators, and galleries.
NAP+ | 12 - 15 September
Donauweg 11, Amsterdam
Public opening: Thursday 19.00 - 21.00 hrs
Friday - Saturday: 11.00 - 19.00 hrs
Sunday: 11.00 - 17.00 hrs
PLOTTERS & PRINTERS
During the first edition of NAP+, Upstream Gallery is proud to present "Plotters & Printers," a duo show featuring works by Harm van den Dorpel and Noor Nuyten. These artists employ mechanical plotters and 3D printing techniques in innovative ways to transform digital activity into physical form. Although these robotic machines are typically used for industrial purposes, the artists repurpose them for their artistic practice. While the artist provides the input, the outcome remains unpredictable to a certain extent, often bearing traces of the machine's process.
HARM VAN DEN DORPEL
Harm van den Dorpel’s (1981, the Netherlands) practice focuses on systems that are ever-changing and developing in the context of technology. He engages with diverse materials and forms, including works on paper, sculpture, computer-generated graphics, and software, through which the works are continuously evolving, informed by feedback loops and the design of algorithmic systems.
The works in this presentation reflect the artist's deep investigation into generative art, tracing the lineage of his influences. Since 2019, van den Dorpel has focused on the work of pioneering artists like Anni Albers and Vera Molnár, both known for their exploration of two-dimensional grid patterns. His research has uncovered a significant presence of female artists in the field of generative art, prompting him to explore the historical link between the systematic repetition in grid patterns and the craft of weaving, a practice traditionally associated with women.
In his work process, van den Dorpel uses modern algorithms and a plotter to mimic and further develop the aesthetics and methods of his predecessors. A plotter is a device that moves pens or markers over paper along an X-Y axis to produce intricate drawings. Unlike printers, the plotter draws lines in all directions, imbuing the work with an organic quality that exceeds the precision of digital prints. Through its deliberate, mechanical movements, the plotter introduces a sense of human unpredictability into the digital realm, resulting in unique and unrepeatable outcomes.
Pression des pairs, is a generative animation inspired by Vera Molnár’s 1959 piece Quatre éléments distribués au hasard. The title, French for "peer pressure," references the work’s underlying algorithm, where each cell’s rotation is influenced by its neighboring cells (its peers). This algorithm could be described as a combination of cellular automata and a Markov chain. The grid is reconfigured in intervals, and scans from top left to bottom right, referring to weaving or writing text. Each time rotation completes, connecting cells take on one similar color, creating groups.
NOOR NUYTEN
Noor Nuyten (1986, The Netherlands) creates conceptual works that appeal strongly to the viewer's imagination. Nuyten is artistically akin to the movement of conceptual artists from the late 1960s, however, at the same time her work is undeniably contemporary. In her new body of work, Noor Nuyten unpacks the materiality of the digital world by fusing crafts with tech-iconic materials.
Nuyten’s series Digital Dust, archives the traces that one leaves behind while swiping on a screen as a physical leftover of the infinite online movement. The off-white reliefs are taking the viewer behind the capacitive touchscreen, recreating the patterns of the electrodes. While swiping on a smartphone, a cascade of actions occurs: the touch leaves a pattern of electrodes behind it. Nuyten has looked into how best to capture this movement and found a way to materialize it After thorough research together with circular company Van Plestik, Nuyten developed a way to 3D print her concept. Some of the works, also utilize experimental non-planar techniques, enabling printing in waves—distinct from traditional 3D printing methods. This technique adds a moiré and slight trompe-l’œil effect, captivating the viewer’s eye with the illusion of depth and movement. Nuyten is inspired by visionary thinkers like Donna Haraway, and envisions a future shaped by reimagining materials and their uses. Through extensive research, she has developed a method for 3D printing her concepts using discarded electronics, such as old computer monitors. These once-functional devices, symbolic of technological evolution, are shredded, melted, and repurposed into new forms, embodying the artist's commitment to sustainability and innovation.
Processed Glitches
Noor Nuyten + Harald den Breejen
3D-printed, computer-generated glitches, vegan chocolate
Noor Nuyten created in collaboration with Harald den Breejen especially for the show a conceptual treat. Processed Glitches uses 3D printing to create edible versions of digital glitches. These temporary malfunctions or faults causing flickering screens have become commonplace in our daily lives. The artist has collected these glitches over the past years and turned them into fair trade chocolate that can be consumed, which may help to digest any lingering issues caused by these technological mistakes. Similar to Digital Dust, Nuyten does not utilize traditional 3D printing material. Instead, she is exploring and experimenting with the latest food 3D printing methods.
