Fotograf Magazine

My work often arises from narratives told via sculptures within an installation. Said narratives originate in mythology and folk tales told in the contemporary context, especially from stories without a traceable source, which circulate on the internet. These stories come to life as a reflection of our current society, and the need to create unity and certain self-awareness. They do not have to be told chronologically but can exist chaotically next to each other, creating new contexts. In this way, I use stories as a universal instrument where fact and fiction intertwine. A mixture of all these narratives can be found, with similarities and differences, throughout all cultures and ages.

The results consist of physical objects where absurdity, truths, and simulation of reality merge into a new reality in itself. You could see my works as relics that relate to a larger whole, of which an installation expands to encompass this larger whole. The narrative aspect of the relics is expressed in the material form of the sculptures and/or their interaction in combination with moving elements. Monumental sculptures and installations are created to enhance the power of a given space, story, image, sound, and immersive experience.

To shape my stories and worlds, I adhere to three archetypal rules:

Chaos: an advancing, unknowable natural force.

Order: a dogmatic, conservative, structuring force.

Transformation: a spiritual, open, metabolizing force.

Thijs Jaeger (1990, NL) graduated from the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (2017) and works in The Hague. He is a board member of the artist-run space Trixie. Jaeger underwent a residency at EKWC, and his works have been shown at Kunstmuseum, GEM, Yiri Arts (TA), Corrosia, Omstand, Museum Bommel van Dam, Art Rotterdam, Unfair or Heden en Stigter van Doesburg.