Clifton Mahangoe
In the nineties Clifton Mahangoe was one of the first to use video projections of waterfalls and other natural phenomena on life-sized holo-, and water screens as decor pieces during commercial events. He often worked together with Dutch artists such as Mischa Klein and REL.These enchanting installations gave the visitor a stimulating sensation. From these applied designs, Mahangoe developed his current autonomous works. His oeuvre consists of videos and light installations in which Mahangoe creates a great attention for stillness. The artist has a deep interest in spirituality, energies and the meditative effect of natural phenomena. Nature in general, and water in particular, have a healing effect according to Mahangoe. Water acts as a mirror that confronts us with the hustle and bustle of our daily existence and at the same time brings us peace of mind. We find all these aspects in the videos and light installations of Mahangoe. The installations are often a succession of intertwined images: running water, reflections, shadow play, a sky full of stars. The slow rhythm of the sequences creates a mesmerizing and soothing effect. Important to the artist is the use of the circle, the symbol of infinity: the line without beginning or end.
“As painters use brushes, paint and canvas, Mahangoe uses light and projection as the bearers of his message in order to share his vision of relativity in perception of light, space and time.”
Clifton Mahangoe owes his inspiration to artists such as Jan Dibbets (Weert 1941), Anish Kapoor (Bombay 1954), Bill Viola (New York 1951) and Olafur Eliasson (Copenhagen 1967). Clifton Mahangoe’s work in recent years was shown at the Salone in Milan, Bank Hall in San Francisco, Jumeirah hotel Dubai, Felix Meritis in Amsterdam, Castle Doornburgh (Maarssen), the Kunstfort Asperen (Acquoy) and gallery Cleyne Huys in The Hague, Oceanic Global in Atzaro Ibiza. (4 years in a row Westergasfabriek Stenen Pleintje, Amsterdam). Clifton Mahangoe is invited to expose his work at the periphery of the Venetian Biennale in 2019.
At the moment Mahangoe is working on a series of installations in which spiritually rich places of this world play a leading role. In these new works he will show the energy of these unique locations.
Background
In the year 2017, Mahangoe has performed several meditation sessions at various magical places on Earth, for instance at islands built on crystals and where waterfalls meet jungle and sea. From the jungle of Thailand to the caves of Menorca and the magnificent rock island Es Vedra on Ibiza. There, through the prisms in waterfalls and healing light rays, Mahangoe has experienced Prana directly flowing from nature and as this merged with the flow of his breath, a path of inner journey was created. Mahangoe grew up in a family of Hindu priests and thus the Buddhist and Hindu philosophies of life are intertwined in his work. Within the Hindu and Buddhist dharma (path / way of life), Prana represents all cosmic energy, permeating the Universe and life on all levels. According to Gautama Buddha, there is no individual identity and there is only Prana. Everything is a manifestation of Prana and Prana is the connection between everything.
CLIFTON MAHANGOE
Conceptual Light Artist
2005 – 2012 Coaching & accompaniment
education: HKU Highschool for Arts Utrecht
Art design for interaction, 3d Design, Animation, Illustration
assignment: develops short artfilms for public spaces, in order to improve spatial experiences from stations, 10 films without a beginning or an end, intrigued by the architecture from Rotterdam.
Period: 2007 (6 months)
Education: TU Delft University of Technology
Interaction design, Industrial design, strategic product design
assignment: develops visual concepts for public spaces , in order to improve spatial experiences from public spaces
goals: bringing video-art in public spaces by designing new shapes of buildings and squares.
Period: 2008-2009 (12 months)
Photo Credits Lieke Lagas Photography