To touch, to twist, to tear, to turn. 
To press, to pull, to push, to pour.
To mold, to mark, to move, to mend.
To scrape, to shape, to stretch, to still.

These gestures shape, control, and sustain. 

In Joanne van Halteren’s videos, fleeting glimpses of lizards, rabbits, and snakes dissolve into human bodies—massaged or grasped, the boundary between care and control remains uncertain. Eva van Essen captures her own hands in clay, their movements solidified in the heat of the kiln, preserved in time.
Through these hands, touch becomes both an act of creation and a record of presence. 

The exhibition explores how connections form and fracture. At what point does a gesture shift from support to dominance? When does true connection emerge? Power dynamics shape the way bodies interact, how they navigate their surroundings, and how they respond to one another. 

Eva’s sculptures and Joanne’s video installations engage in a silent dialogue, bringing together the tactile and the digital. Through material contrast and shifting perspectives, the works examine the complexities of human and non-human entanglements. A shared publication expands this conversation, combining personal archives—both found and original imagery—into a dynamic visual exchange.

www.joannevanhalteren.com
www.evavanessen.com