“Attention is all you need.” Whether it be cooking a meal, making an artwork, or even meditating, every activity requires you to be attentive and conscious. It is a fundamental resource that defines human beings, but one that has been severely hindered in recent years, sparking a debate about increasingly shortened attention spans in today’s society and the role played by the introduction and daily use of mobile phones and other electronic devices or technological developments.
Steering through psychology, philosophy and cognitive science, Jeroen A. Meijer is a mindscape artist whose installations are interactive and multisensorial, with the ultimate goal of bringing the audience closer to acknowledging the intrinsic properties of our attention. The reason roots back to Jeroen’s own experience, especially with the start of the Vipassana meditation practice. Jeroen Alexander Meijer grew up with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and faced countless problems when it came to concentration and focus.
The acknowledgment that he was not in control of his own attention span culminated with the start of his studies at the art academy, a time that went hand-in-hand with the start of the Vipassana practice. The more he practiced meditation, the more his works took the shape of challenging the audience’s attention span and meditation states.
Now, several years after completing his art studies, Jeroen Alexander Meijer’s practice continues to be profoundly shaped by his experiences. We met him at the iii workspace in Den Haag, where he had just set up his latest installation, which will premiere at this year’s Conflux Festival. We spent an afternoon together being enthralled by the pendulum and Jeroen’s words.
Interview by Mara Noto.
