Maarten Van Aken’s works exude a profound power, a force that gently urges you to pause and contemplate. As you gaze upon them, the world seems to halt, and time loses its pulse. These are tranquil moments, bathed in light and warmth, where stillness reigns supreme.
Maarten Van Aken的作品有一種力量，那是一種慢下來的力量，讓你不得不靜靜地看著它，世界彷彿靜止，時間也不再跳動，那是一個寧靜的瞬間，被光照耀著，溫暖著。
Closer to the Edge (2016) by Marrten Van Aken. Acrylic & Oil on canvas, 180 x 165 cm
Perhaps becoming an artist was not Maarten Van Aken’s initial plan.Yet, after three years of studying Industrial Design Engineering at the University of Twente, he discovered a deep longing for a greater freedom.It was through art that he found an unparalleled sense of liberation, a freedom he had never known before.
Despite Maarten’s decision to pursue art, aspects of industrial design continued to intrigue him. This experience endowed him with a 3D mindset, an acute depth perception, and a methodical approach to constructing drawings on paper. His passion for architecture and design also flourished during his university years.
Maarten’s paintings consistently revolve around the interplay of light and architecture. He believes that the presence of a figure in a scene naturally draws our attention to the person. However, in their absence, the depicted space becomes the sole focus, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the painting and project their own stories onto it.
Maarten discovered that seemingly ordinary spaces could transform into new dimensions through the play of light. A closer look reveals how light defines space and intersections. “I always liked to play a bit with perception and I learned such an intersection can also be called liminal space. A liminal space is a time between ‘what was’ and the ‘next’. It is a place of transition, yet time seems to stand still.”
It is this ambiguous space that Maarten continually seeks to capture, seemingly without end. Through his bold use of color and composition, those cinematic corners invite viewers into deep contemplation or a state of complete stillness, quietly appreciating these fleeting “liminal spaces”.
也許成為藝術家並不是Marrten Van Aken原來的計劃，但在特溫特大學學習了三年工業設計工程專業以後，他才發現原來自己渴望更多的自由，而藝術給予了他前所未有的自由。
對於Maarten來說，在學習的過程中他發現工業設計需要設計師從中找到缺陷，並提出新的想法來解決問題, 這讓他感到有些局促。也許藝術並不能切實解決實際問題，但這種「無用」讓Maarten感到無比愉悅。「一旦我開始畫畫，就會感覺無比輕鬆。這真的很令我振奮，這是我在之前的學習中從未感受過的。」
儘管在Maarten決定選擇藝術時，工業設計的一些東西一直困擾著他，但是這段經歷使他獲得了3D思維和良好的深度感知以及必須在紙上構建圖紙的工作方式。他對建築和設計的熱愛也源自於許多大學時期的學習。
不難發現，Maarten的繪畫主題總是圍繞著光與建築，在他看來，如果畫面有人的出現，我們的注意力自然會轉向畫里的人，但如果沒有人物在場，那麼畫里呈現的空間自然就是觀者唯一關注的對象，從而使人更容易沈浸在畫里，並投射自己的故事。
Maarten發現，那些看似普通的空間，只要通過光線的照射，彷彿就能產生另一個緯度的新空間。只要仔細觀察，就會發現光影的出現分割出來更多的平面和交叉點。「這樣的交叉點被稱為閾限空間。閾限空間是指『上一個時間』與『下一個時間』之間的一個時間點。那是一個過渡的空間，時間似乎靜止了。」 就是這樣的似是而非的空間，讓Maarten一直追尋，似乎永遠也畫不完。透過Marrten大膽的色彩與構圖，那些電影場景般的角落，總是讓人不自覺地陷入沈思，又或者進入一個完全放空的狀態，默默地欣賞著這些轉瞬即逝的「閾限空間」。
MY:Light plays an important role in your artistic creation. How do you deal with the relationship of light in space?
MVA:I like to look closely at how light defines a space. You can take the space apart and redefine it, without compromising reality. I’m investigating the nature of light and space in a playful way. The paintings often depict architecturally desolate places. How can a person relate to those spaces? I have always been fascinated by the relationship between light and architecture. Sometimes the spaces between buildings are very small, other times they are vast, yet they always create scenes that captivate me. The interplay of light and structure is endlessly enchanting.
MY:In the process of creation, do you find it difficult?
MVA:Sometimes the process from initial idea to finished painting is very quick. At other times it becomes a “struggle”. I have to let a painting sit for a while to find the next move. Painting for me is very much a skill of patience. You can’t rush it and I quite like that. Quite often a painting is finished just because I haven’t touched it in a while.
MY:In 2017, you have been to China once. Do you think there is anything special about your experience in China?
MVA:China has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. I had never been to Asia up to this point and it was thrilling to experience the differences and similarities. It challenged me personally and professionally and I feel I’ve learned a lot in the process.
MY:Living in a strange country, there will be differences in culture and language. Do you sometimes feel lonely?
MVA:You can be alone whilst not feeling lonely and vice versa. One of the greatest experiences for me in China was being able to connect with people despite not speaking the same language or having the same cultural background. It’s encouraging to know that all over the world, at
the core, people are the same. They laugh and cry at the same things and there is always a way to make a connection.
MY:光在你的藝術創作中扮演著重要的角色，你是怎麼處理光在空間中的關係？
MVA:我喜歡觀察光，喜歡看看它是怎樣勾勒和定義空間的。透過光，你可以拆分空間並重新定義它，而且視覺上依舊相信它是真實存在的。我正在用一種有趣的方式來研究光與空間的本質。這些畫作通常描繪的是荒廢的建築。我想研究人是如何與那些空間產生聯繫的。我一直在尋找光和建築的關係，有時候建築之間的空間非常小，有時候非常大，總是能創造一些令我非常著迷的景象，它總是非常迷人。
MY:在創作的過程中，你會有感到困難的時候嗎?
MVA:有時候從最初的想法到完成繪畫的過程是非常快的。而有時候，它變成了「鬥爭」。我得讓一幅畫靜置一段時間才能繼續進行。繪畫對我來說是一種培養耐心的技能。你不能急於求成，我也喜歡這種慢下來的感覺。很多時候，一幅畫的完成只是因為我有一段時間沒有碰它。
MY:在2017年的時候，你到中國大連參與藝術家駐地項目，你覺得在中國的經歷有什麼特別的嗎?
MVA:中國的經歷是彌足珍貴的。在這之前，我從未到過亞洲，體驗亞洲的不同和相似之處是令人興奮的。這對於我個人和我的專業都是一種挑戰，我覺得在這個過程當中我學到了很多。
MY:在一個陌生的國家生活，會有文化和語言的差異，你會有時候感到孤獨嗎?
MVA:你可以獨處而不會感到孤獨，反之亦然。對我來說，在中國最寶貴的經歷之一就是能夠與不同語言或文化背景的人們交流。讓我感慨的是，「人」都是一樣的，不論你來自哪裡。 大家為同樣的事情歡笑或哭泣，所以人與人之間總會有一種方式可以建立聯繫。
More about Marrten Van Aken:
www.maartenvanaken.nl
採訪及撰稿 x Michelle Yu
