For his nomination for the Prix de Rome in 2009, Maze de Boer presented Undressed: a full-scale reconstructed skeleton of a traditional Dutch windmill. The installation was presented in the Zuiveringshal Oost, located on the grounds of the former Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam, once a site where energy was produced for the city.
The windmill stands still, without wind, without space to move. Its blades are present, but unable to turn. What remains is a fragile structure, stripped of function. And yet, the original power of the windmill is still palpable. Precisely because of its life-sized scale, the work carries a physical presence that confronts the viewer with what once was — and what is no longer.
Undressed refers to a time when technology was still directly connected to natural forces. At the same time, it reveals how symbols of progress can come to a standstill.
The work was previously exhibited at the Noord-Holland Biennale.
