Exhibition Convenient Freeze by T Y Gutter

Buurtkamer Over de Brug, Isaac Titsinghkade 123, 1018 LL Amsterdam

Opening hours: February 10 – April 25, 2025. Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.

In times of uncertainty, loss, and confusion, sometimes it is enough to pause for a moment to find clarity—to remain still and attentive until light emerges. Companionship brings comfort. When we see ourselves reflected in others, mirrored in their thoughts and echoed in their words, it offers affirmation and a sense of safety—an anchor in a turbulent sea.

Convenient Freeze, the latest project by T Y Gutter, showcases and illustrates the echo chambers of our time.

This project presents a series of handcrafted soft relief sculptures featuring embroidered smiling faces. A smile is a powerful non-verbal communication tool, used to connect, reassure, and build bonds with others. In this project, however, it is depicted as a form of paralysis—a desperate attempt to maintain the illusion that everything is fine, to keep things at a distance, and to signal that one poses no threat.

Created in the summer of 2024 and influenced by the state of affairs both globally and at home, the working process was meditative and reflective, both internally and externally. With this work, T Y Gutter curiously returns to soft sculpture, a medium the artist distanced himself from years ago.

Bio

T Y Gutter is an Amsterdam-based artist and designer working across visual arts, film, and activism. After graduating from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2003 and studying at the Dutch Art Institute, he has exhibited internationally and collaborated with renowned art initiatives and publications.

Alongside his artistic practice, Gutter has worked as an art director and set designer for acclaimed film and television productions, including the Emmy-nominated The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2023). He also teaches workshops at institutions across Europe and is committed to supporting LGBT+ refugees and emerging artists through activism and education.