From Dim Tim

1 Oct - 4 Dec 2018

In the studio

63 days at Trelex … for three of us in Dim Tim Art Collaborative Group, it was the place where the artist finds the peace and feels the freedom. Conditions for work were magnificent. Working space was equipped with indispensable items, all that artist could ask for. There was also substantial selection of books about art, artists and history of art. At the beginning we were told that it is not easy to organize an exhibition in any of local galleries and that sometimes it takes years. Anyway we suggested Nina that we can paint mural on some suitable wall in the area. We mentioned our experience to enlarge our paintings and paint them as murals on the walls in different places. May be the school could be such a place. So Nina made important initial steps.

Nina asked a friend to make for us the first contact with prominent International School of Geneva. Also she organized the meeting with Madame Eve-Marie Koehler, the director of the International School for talented and advanced children in Etoy. Ecole Germaine de Stael was the school which her daughter and son were both attending. 

As the first step we agreed to give a lecture for the students of International School of Geneva and to present our work. Then the management asked if we can provide two simulation drawings for the mural on the main wall of reception hall at the main entrance to the school. We made two proposals and soon the choice was made. Conditions were excellent and we painted our mural Roadmap to success. The inauguration of the mural was great; it was organized in the form of Dim Tim Art conference with the lecture on history of murals. Students gave us a selection of their written thoughts about our mural and that is part of our art portfolio now. At the end of the event Ecolint management made for us champagne party with snacks and sweets. 

Our plan for Ecole Germaine de Stael was different, this time the mural lecture was followed by a workshop. More than 20 students took part so we organized them in three groups. First group has free choice to make drawings of different forms. We were involved of course and later the stencils were made. Second group was with Danijela, mixing and preparing different acrylic colors. They were mostly Ice cream colors as we prefer to call them. Finally, third group was preparing the walls with Milenko and painted rhombic frames for the mural. When we started to compose the forms students were very excited. Mural was emerging quickly and we saw many happy faces. The result was great and everybody liked the murals. Next day students also wanted to help, but Dim Tim of course had to do some corrections and to finalize the Rolling square mural, 16 meters long. Iskra was invited to attend the school for one month and it was great experience for a six year old.

The four murals that we left in Geneva and Etoy were our gifts to the community and to generations of children. 

During the residency we made 21 minimalistic ink drawings on special and rare Dzo paper that we brought from Vietnam; later we applied few details made of specially embossed leafs of gold. Following Nina’s advice we also started with some basic bookbinding practice.

Drawings on Dzo paper

For our exhibition Bauhaus Revisited 1919-2019, which was planned for May 2019, we painted one acrylic on canvas dim 100 x 200 cm; the painting Bauhaus Revisited was geometrical in black and white color and dedicated to Bauhaus centenary.

Bauhaus revisited

The period of year that we spent in Trelex could be considered as mild and dry autumn. The photographs testify the richness of pallet that nature offered in shades of yellow, orange and brown. It was real and beautiful Indian summer that we enjoyed very much all the time. Long walks by the lake, passing and touching vineyards and castles; Jura and the magnificent view towards Mont Blanc, the same view that was enjoyed by some of greatest masters of written words, to mention Rilke and Voltaire only. 

Our daughter Iskra was picking grapes and berries in the garden and was excited picking apples to feed the neighbor’s horses. She was sad when the fox ravaged the pen one night and left on the grass only few gray feathers. Six beautiful hens disappeared overnight. 

Alexander and Iskra made special masks and toured the village for the Halloween; they collected a pile of candies.  

It was great that we could use the car; it was indispensable for supplies and shopping. It also took us to Martigny, a wonderful little town in the Swiss Alps, a magic place that we already visited 6 years earlier. There is Pierre Gianadda Foundation, the private collection of sculptures in open air, one of the best in Europe and lovely museum with a dedicated antique car section downstairs - not to be missed by car enthusiasts. Upstairs there was retrospective exhibition of Soulages, the master of Black color, as well as the permanent display of Roman artifacts found on the site. We highly recommend this place for the visit as we had marvelous time there. 

Visit to Lausanne was great. The city is more interesting for art lovers than Geneva. There we found some special branded paints we needed the most. Just opposite to the Cathedral (must see) is MUDAC, the Museum where we visited exhibition about Bauhaus. The Art Brut Museum established by Dubuffet was catching our attention by surprise. There were also few high quality photograph exhibitions, to mention only Liu Bolin at Museum Elysee.

Dim Tim at MEG, Geneva

The Trelex residency was great experience for us as to develop our art further and to open and explore some new chapters. It was productive but also interesting and culturally comprehensive. The walks and tours that we had around Trelex and Lake Leman, exhibitions that we visited during 63 beautiful days are going to stay in our memory.

Finaly we have to thank Nina and David for all the hospitality and understanding, to Annais and Alexander for exchange of smiles and to Jonathan for help and interesting conversation during our stay.

Dim Tim Art Collaborative Group

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