Magical Realism of Heimler & Proc
Although of European origin — like the artist Gottfried Lidauer, to whom they regularly refer— Heimler and Proc deliberately situate their practice within an art-historical continuum distinct from the dominant European tradition. Working from the antipodes, they unite the female and male principles while conducting a sustained inquiry into the foundational elements of New Zealand culture, thereby achieving a profound cultural fusion. Their research embraces both Māori heritage and the sense of wonder experienced by newer inhabitants confronted with unfamiliar landscapes and fauna. To convey and celebrate this diversity, they adopt a magic-realist approach that systematically suspends the conventional laws of perspective. Every contour is deliberately outlined in blue, rendering forms simultaneously more emphatic and ethereal—present yet irreal. Throughout their work, they draw systematically upon the history of art, invoking, among other references, Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas, the monumental canvases of Diego Rivera, and the oeuvre of Lidauer. In this manner, they transgress established boundaries, incorporate the devices of magical realism, and affirm individuality while giving full expression to a wide spectrum of human emotion.