nu

The title ‘nu’ for the duo exhibition by Juliane Schmidt and Esther Jiskoot originated from the
correspondence between them. Schmidt was inspired by her son’s daily question ‘When is
tomorrow? Jiskoot’s thoughts were about ‘now is all we have’. They found a common ground in
the Dutch word ‘nu’.

‘nu’ meaning now, is an existential word the artists both relate to. Written in small letters, it
remains the same even after a rotation of 180 degrees: ‘nu’ raises the question of the nature of
time itself. It is hardly possible to capture the now, which flutters between the past and the future.
Psychology assumes that humans are only able to perceive and make contact with the world and
their inner selves in the present. Our brain seems to process the present in units of about 2.7
seconds. That is about the duration of the so-called moment. One day consists of 32000 moments.

Both artists address the struggles and vulnerability of human life, but each in their own way and
using a different form language. While Schmidt’s work focuses on the Sisyphean struggle of
everyday life and the sensation of inadequacy, Jiskoot’s is more about repression and the denial
and resistance that men have no hold on the world, but still are hoping and trying to live without
fear.