American artist Otto Berchem (1967), who lives in Amsterdam, has created a new work commissioned by the H+F Collection of writer and patron Han Nefkens. The work is entitled Forgive me for what I have not done and will be on show through 25 March 2012 at Out of Storage. This exhibition, which is being presented in the Timmerfabriek in Maastricht, the Netherlands, has been compiled by curator Hilde Teerlinck from works from the collection of FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais in Dunkirk, France. After the exhibition closes, Nefkens will give the work to the FRAC on long-term loan.

Forgive me for what I have not done is inspired by a tattoo. It was seen in a Puerto Rican jail being worn by a prisoner as an expression of his remorse for his actions: “Perdoname madre por lo que he hecho” (Mother forgive me for what I have done). While the original sentence conveys a primary form of guilt, altering the phrase turns it into a testimony of remorse for actions that have not (yet) been committed. Using the phrase “Forgive me for what I have not done” as the departure point, Otto Berchem is developing a series of works that includes text, drawings, paintings and sound. They all examine the concepts of remorse, guilt, failure and ultimately hope. The first part of the series comprises the sentence ‘Forgive me for what I have not done’ in reflective capitals, and confronts viewers with themselves.

Photo: Marres Projects/Johannes Schwartz

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