Artist

Since the early eighties, the Dutch artist Alex Vermeulen's work has been characterized by an examination of the relationship between visual art and film. During the period 1980 to 1984 he combined film, visual art (including sculptures, installations) and live performances of music in multimedia projects, such as "Do not title the Symphonies". After 1982 he produced what he referred to as 'filmbooks': film scenarios into which he incorporated film stills. In 1996, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam presented a large overview exposition under the title Fuga Futuri. Vermeulen's personal response on the future, using themes like 'time' en 'balance'.

The large-scale project States of Humanity [SOH] is spanning all of Vermeulen's work after 1996. In this multi-media series, Vermeulen is working together with a lot of different parties (for example philosophers, scientist, composers and DJs) and. Deze zin is in het NL niet af! Various themes and ways of expression are presented. Some examples are 3D-video/audio installations, a documentary film, a book, and a multimedia opera performance (partly recorded at TU/e).

Vermeulen summarizes the SOH series as "communication and information, interaction and reaction by conventional and modern media", with themes like 'power', 'religion', 'reflection', 'violence', 'spirituality', 'individuality', 'sexuality' and 'perception'. With this, a total artwork is created, characterizing and criticizing human nature in the social evolution of the metropolis.

Vermeulen's work was presented in Van-Abbemuseum (Eindhoven, NL), Stedelijk (Amsterdam, NL), New Museum of Contemporary Art (New York), at the International Film Festival (Rotterdam, NL), and at Holland Festival (Amsterdam). Lots of his sculptures are distributed in public spaces in The Netherlands and the USA.

Vermeulen's sculptures are mostly characterized by affinity with technology and scientific principles. That way, he created the work 'Reversibility of Time' with the popular astrophysicist Vincent Icke. Since 1999 he is working together with students and employees of TU/e, working on his largest sculpture until the present. The black egg-shaped objects, in this work in the hands of the elements, can also be seen in other sculptures of the series as primal symbol of life.