In "My mother was my future as well as my past," Manon Wertenbroek uses neutral-toned textile to explore the subtle interplay of texture and form. The composition features smooth, undulating surfaces with gently raised shapes suggesting an abstract landscape or body. Her artistic style leans towards minimalism, with a focus on tactile and sensorial elements that invite the viewer to contemplate the boundaries of physical form. This work reflects Wertenbroek’s interest in the duality of skin and its inherent tension between protection and exposure, sentimentality and intimacy. ...
Through the artist's material explorations, Manon Wertenbroek examines the definition of a physical form and its limits, as well as what lies beyond the skin as an envelope. In so doing, she explores the duality of skin as an element that is both singular and relational, protective and permeable. Wertenbroek is always looking for materials and ways to cross the line between sentimentality and eroticism, using materials such as latex, leather, metal clasps, lights, and piercings. Her sculptures are often disembodied, suggesting bodies without taking on volume or form. In 2017, Wertenbroek received the Swiss Art Award from the Federal Office of Culture. ...
