Qi meets the Dutch artist Marcel Heijnen. He talks about his recent exhibition Residue Series and his views on the continuous flux state of life.
Marcel is a designer, photographer and musician. But he calls himself a graphic designer first, because of his years of practice in this field. While Marcel recognizes graphic design is nothing more than applied art, something that serves a client's purpose and often needs to help sell something, he has come to realize that the need to design and create still stems from his inner quest for beauty. In the past few years he has been aiming to do this more autonomously. He was delighted to liberate himself from meeting a client's needs and create according to his own brief.
Qi: Why did you choose impermanence as central theme for this exhibition?
Marcel: I've been getting into Buddhism in recent years and the one underlying principle that really speaks to me is the idea that everything is in continuous flux: all there is is continuous change. This, to me, is a fundamental truth in life and there's enormous power in the realization and acceptance of this. We often choose not to see this though, because facing and accepting impermanence as a truth would force us to face our own demise and that's something we don't like doing. The one thing that's certain in our life, that it'll end sooner or later, is something we know but do not want to know.
"Most of us label the notion of impermanence as 'sad', but I feel it hugely liberating. We appreciate flowers more, not despite the fact that they will wither but because they wither. Just as gold would not be valuable if it was abundant, life would not be precious if it would not end. If we would realise this, we would live life more fully in every moment, rather than stressing ourselves out working for and worrying about the future."
Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose," Steve Jobs understood this very well.
If the embracing of impermanence can teach us to how to live more fully, then it's time to get impermanence out of the closet. In other words: Permanence does not exist, long live impermanence....
Strip and Transit
Qi: What is your memorable story during creation of this series?
Marcel: When I was shooting in Quanzhou, China, earlier this year, a young Chinese student asked to join me during my shoot. He wanted to practise his English and could assist in holding the panel that I use for the reflections etc. It was a very enjoyable few hours. I learned about him, his family, his city and how he sees life in China etc. And he got a good English lesson out of it, I guess. This is one of the many occasions during which my Residue activity became a reason or excuse for me to interact with people on the street, which is a great 'side-effect' of doing this work. It's very different from locking yourself up in an atelier with paint and canvas. My work takes place on the street, by definition.
Qi: What is your favorite artwork in this exhibition? 
Scorch
Marcel: The work 'Scorch' is my favourite because of its rich colour and layering. To elaborate a bit on my method: the only two items I use to create the Residue works are a camera and a clear glass panel. I placed the glass in front of weathered walls and shoot the reflections of nearby buildings. It's pure photography, no photoshopping, prepared props or multiple exposures, just capturing what exists there and then, in that very moment.
About Marcel Heijnen Originally from The Netherlands, Marcel has been in Asia for over 19 years. Using photography as his main art form, Marcel considers and examines life’s many boundaries in search of beauty and expression that goes beyond realism. His strong desire to understand life and its significance is what inspires his creativity, and what draws him closer to the truth. In the past few years, Marcel developed a method of 'capturing change' in a single shot that presents our fast changing world in a unique way. While he does not feature people, his work forces us to reflect on the human condition.
The Residue series will be showcased from November 5 - November 30, 2011. Venue: Vue Privéeb 20 Cairnhill Road Singapore, 229652 T: 6738 7225 Opening Hours: Sat-Sun: 12noon-8pm Mon-Fri: by Appointment www.vueprivee.com or www.marcelheijnen.com
About Qi GLOBAL
Qi is a global network of innovators. We provide members a platform for cross-industry networking and collaboration. Innovation happens with the cross-pollination of knowledge from a range of industries. Based on this principle, Qi works to bring together corporate, community and creative sectors to generate new ideas for sustainable development in the following areas: Architecture & Urban Planning; Conservation & Wildlife; Energy & Technology; Fashion, Art & Design; Food, Health & Leisure; Leadership & Innovation; Impact Investment; Policy & Nation Development; Women’s Empowerment; and Youth Ambition & Education.
Every October, Qi hosts an annual meeting in Singapore, gathering business and community leaders from around the world. Contributors demonstrate how social innovation can impact and change lives and communities in Asia. Qi Global Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore-based social enterprise founded in 2009 whose vision is to create human progress in harmony with nature. Find out more at www.qi-global.com/conference
Monday, June 25, 2012 at 3:20PM 
