The essence of Gabriel Lester’s (NL, 1972) practice is his use of the vocabulary of cinematography, resulting in films, sculptures, installations and performances. His artworks create a kind of scenography or set in which the spectator becomes a protagonist and plays a decisive role in the interpretation and completion of the work.

For CHAPTER 1NE, Lester designed an art installation that also serves as a training space for the participants of the Boxing Clinic. His installation plays with the duplication of one of the principle elements of Het HEM’s architecture – the rows of pillars – creating a pillar forest, so to speak. The pillars become a rhythmic addition to the space, a physical translation of a drum solo with fast and slow frequencies, heavy and light beats, continuous sight lines and, every now and then, a moment of rest in the form of a clearing. From Thursday to Sunday, the rhythms of Lester’s installation will be amplified by the training routines of the Boxing Clinic participants.

Guillaume: ‘This installation translates what the Boxing Clinic is essentially all about. It’s not only about the goal, but also about the process of getting there. The installation itself is a kind of obstacle course or labyrinth.’