Tino Sehgal – This youiiyou

Renewal

The Berlin-based artist of German-Indian descent achieved worldwide fame with his groundbreaking work, which focuses on physical presence, interaction and social dynamics. He is considered one of the most innovative artists in contemporary art.

An intimate situation

In This youiiyou, a choreography of voice, rhythm and body language unfolds around the theme of connection between generations. The work is among Sehgal's most intimate ‘constructed situations’ to date. The work is carried out by a group of participants who create a sensory and emotionally charged experience for each visitor.

Physical encounter

Trained in choreography and political economy, Sehgal developed an artistic practice that radically stretches the boundaries of the visual arts. His work, rooted in the tradition of conceptual art, consists entirely of intangible actions. What remains is the memory of a physical encounter— intimate, temporary and unrepeatable. For five months, This youiiyou will be experienced continuously every day in the main hall of the museum. Visitors are invited to a tranquil form of viewing and physical reflection.

Long-term collaboration

The presentation of This youiiyou in De Pont Museum marks a new step in the long-term collaboration between Tino Sehgal and Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen, director of the museum. Their collaboration started in 2003 with the presentation of Twenty Minutes for the Twentieth Century (2000) in the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam. Exhibitions followed later in the Stedelijk Museum CS and the controversial A Year at the Stedelijk: Tino Sehgal (2015), in the Stedelijk Museum in which seventeen live works were on display for a year. This youiiyou builds on this shared history and adds a new chapter.