to the artists, designers and craftspeople who think I call their work kitsch... this is NOT the case, it refers to my own work

Oct 26, 2013

Karin van der Molen - wood mood

It's this gorgeous time of the year; walking through the wood we're enjoying colours and the scent of fallen leaves... and art.





Karin van der Molen - Stop Motion - 2013
 
IN BETWEEN
inner and outer landscapes
september 6 - november 3 2013
Belgium
 
We're busy chopping wood in our 'forest' to get our supply of logs for the next winter.  Karin's work is very inspiring... I might have a go at making a similar work on a smaller scale in our own backyard.
 
 
 
related post
 
 


Apr 21, 2013

gorgeous trash - superb waste - splendid junk - magnificent rubbish

I have no idea what the best translation is, but it more or less covers the - dutch - title of this brandnew book released the day before yesterday.

SCHITTERENDE ROTZOOI       UPCYCLE!
by Jan Van Craesbeeck (grafic designer and passionate recycling artist) and Lil Meert (photographer)

The first time I saw Jan Van Craesbeeck's delightful junk sculptures was quite some years ago during the first Kunstroute-Leuven, a local art tour.  I didn't take pictures back then, my digital camera came much later.
During the opening of the Upcycling Festival at CREAZI (mentionned in previous post) we had the opportunity to see most of the artist's work again.  The conditions to make decent photos were not so good, here's a tiny selection of Jan's exquisite little creatures.






The Upcycling Festival at CREAZI was the perfect moment to launch his book.  It shows, apart from many artworks by the author and artist himself, various other artists from all over the world working with discarded materials.  Encounters with unique personalities, art brut artists in the original sense of the word (by Dubuffet), designers of one of a kind interiors and furniture.  All with one thing in common : the use of waste, junk, trash, rubbish...

To my astonishement I find myself pictured in the book...
There was this photoshoot so many months ago but nothing was heard from it since so I thought the whole thing was blown off or this project didn't fit in the book.  Well there it is, the beautiful Arbus Reïnc, the tree built with reclaimed timber from the roof of our renovated barn. 



The tree that needs to guard our fallen appletree hit by a storm almost two years ago now but still alive.  And although the tree was my idea and concept, built with our material and built in our orchard I never could have built it without the help of Clemens Maassen.  He is the architect of Arbus Reïnc, technique and design are his contributions.

I'm enjoying the sunday afternoon reading inspiring stories about people with a passion: turning unwanted objects into treasures.

Jan Van Craesbeeck
Lil Meert
Uitgeverij De Draak


related posts






CREAZI - Upcycling Festival

CREAZI - a taste of waste
rethinking recycling

Its been a very long winter in so many ways and I'm just trying to wake up from a deep state of hibernation. Many things and events kept me away from art, design and kitsch hence the silence on the blog.
One of our first happenings this year brings us to Hasselt in the Euregion, the opening of the Upcycling Festival at CREAZI.

CREAZI has a great concept.  Becoming a member as an artist means getting access to various free materials donated by volunteers and companies with overstock.  Materials are very diverse and may only be used in artwork and unique design pieces.  CREAZI is also linked to the local Kringwinkel (thriftshop) so material includes a great variety of worndown ecclectic pieces of junk and other stuff.

The festival started with an exhibition by artists using this free material.  I particularely liked this wooden assemblage from crates, I've used these slats to make furniture myself some time in the past.




UPCYCLING FESTIVAL
19-28 april 2013
Hasselt - Belgium

www.upcyclingfestival.org   view the agenda of different workshops and more


On the opening night there was a presentation of a book on upcycling... a book with a surprise I didn't expect. More on that in the next post...



related posts

Upcycle Festival  (click title)










Jan 17, 2013

DENMARK - the artist

No, not talking about Denmark the country in northern Europe...

DENMARK - V.9.72 - 1972






DENMARK - Data - 1975







Denmark - Fake Library - 1981-1983







DENMARK - the best magazines of art to be collected - 1989






DENMARK - Attrape-Mouches - 2000-2004






DENMARK - Absolut Library - 2010







DENMARK - Parrots - 2006-2012





DENMARK - Horizontaal versneden veilingcatalogi hedendaagse kunst - 2010-2012






DENMARK - Artforum - 2010-2011




DENMARK is a Belgian artist whose real name is Marc Robbroeckx.
I do love his work.  First saw it many years ago in Antwerp at a time I didn't make pictures so I don't have anything to show from back then.  Such a pity, it was a great soloshow.
Now we just got the last day of his show at Museum M in Leuven, Belgium... only six works exhibited here.

It inspired me, so off I went to buy a sharp scalpel... dissecting old magazines... wondering what will 'pop out'.


DENMARK  (click to enter artist's site)
Museum M - Leuven, Belgium

Jan 15, 2013

a bit rusty...

trying to catch up with my blog I do have problems uploading pictures... it is not working the way it used to.
once I can get this fixed I'll be up and running again...

Dec 7, 2012

NEWTOPIA - Mona Hatoum

The State of Human Rights
international exhibition of contemporary art dedicated to Human Rights

more than 70 international artists of different generations

one of my favorites is Mona Hatoum with striking pieces of art telling many stories that need to be heard

Mona Hatoum - Hot Spot





Mona Hatoum - Conversation Piece





Mona Hatoum - Infinity





Mona Hatoum - Exodus II - detail
I've seen another version of this artwork at Maria Bonnier Dahlin Foundation in Stockholm



NEWTOPIA

The State of Human Rights
different locations - Mechelen, Belgium
until 10.12.2012

newtopia.be
more information on the artist's page

NEWTOPIA - part 2

The State of Human Rights

international exhibition of contemporary art dedicated to Human Rights

more than 70 international artists of different generations
Alfredo Jaar - Three Women - part of installation with Aung San Suu Kyi





Diango Hernandez - The Only Book - detail





Kendell Geers - installation with guest artists
another work from this artist at Manifesta HERE (click)






Stelios Faitakis - Imposition Symphony - detail





Satch Hoyt - Say it out Loud!





Sven 't Jolle - (Casse toi alors) Pauvre Canard
another open air installation at Beaufort from this artist in this POST (click)

in background : Ravi Agarwal - Have you seen the flowers on the river?



NEWTOPIA
The State of Human Rights
different locations - Mechelen, Belgium
until 10.12.2012

newtopia.be
go to artists page to get more information on the artworks

Dec 6, 2012

NEWTOPIA - part 1

The State of Human Rights
international exhibition of contemporary art dedicated to Human Rights

more than 70 international artists of different generations
Cengiz Çekil - Towards Childhood, Since Childhood - detail





Elisabetta Benassi - Truth and Lies





Jaroslaw Kozakiewicz - Oxygen Towers - part of installation with video





Kostas Tsolis - Untitled (Gaze)





Lieve Van Stappen - Christening Dresses




Nikita Kadan - Procedure Room - 2 of 8 plates





Seamus Nolan - Every action will be judged on the particular circumstances - part of installation





Tom Molloy - Alfred - detail





Tom Molloy - Protest - detail


NEWTOPIA 
The State of Human Rights
different locations - Mechelen, Belgium
until 10.12.2012

go to artists page to get more information on the artworks