On the 15th of September, a performance by Jota Mombaça and Tessa Mars took place to initiate de Appel Curatorial Programme’s exhibition series called super feelings with their performance sinking could be. The performance started the moment that the doors opened for the audience. As soon as one entered the exhibition space, they were transported to a heavy, oceanic, and sombre world. All thanks to the blue-tinted window, sounds of whispers filling up the space alongside a rumbling droning noise that fluctuates like waves. The audience makes their way into space around a bed of sand with two buried bodies to be found.

As the whispers turn to chants, the bodies rise from their seeming slumber and make their way to the microphones to provide overlaid poetic pieces that made note of the drowned, the migrating, and the sunken. Afterwards, the two speakers return to the sand and start digging for metal sculptures that they later propped and left up for display. This was only the first performance to contribute to this interesting exhibition format that came in the form of 4 episodes each with an artistic intervention to kick it off. This exhibition was curated by Melissa Appleton, Ka-Tjun Hau, Chala Westerman, and Monika Georgieva. These four make De Appel’s curatorial programme for this year. I spoke with Ka-Tjun, Chala, and Monika.