On the road
2022 'Home sweet home' At different places arround the US. photo prints 40X50cm
2019 Drawing a white borderline with a bag of plaster II
Video 1'24" Drawing a white borderline with a bag of plaster II, performance at the Alvord desert in Oregon US
2017 Polacco
Video 5'30" made in Arizona
2017 SQUARE
Square: performing at 3 different states of USA: 2017
Having
clear boundaries is said to be essential to a healthy lifestyle. A
boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which
we are responsible. Boundaries define who we are and who we are not,
what is ours and what is not.
In many countries, people put fences
around their house to delineate the boundaries of their property. Hotel
guests in resorts leave towels on their lounge chair while going for
lunch, as claiming the chair as a personal property. As soon as someone
puts a pole or a flag in the ground, it is a claim on a territory.
Spending
time in immense desert landscapes in the US, I had questions around
property. Who does this belong to, who looks after this? Can I freely
walk around here? Or would this be trespassing? There was a sense of
unease and fear sometimes venturing into these lands. and doing a land
art installation
In 3 places in the US I staked out 10mx10m squares,
using tent poles and thin red wool thread. The installation was rather
small so that it could be surveyed easily. I used fragile materials that
are temporary and non-interruptive. What counted is not the square as a
piece of art, but the performance of making the square. After I made
the installation, I left it behind. It is now up to nature and people
walking by to determine its future.
My objective was not to put a
claim on a piece of land, but to trigger questions. People passing such a
construction could ask questions such as, why is this here? Will
something be built here? Maybe they feel unease, or maybe they feel
safer because someone has been there before. My intention with my
performance is to invite them to reflect on themes such as property,
ownership, … I was curious about the feelings that could be evoked by
this installation. In one location, some locals observed me rather
suspiciously. As soon as I told them that it was an art performance,
they accepted my being there and felt more comfortable.
I selected 3 different locations, which were all in what could be considered "no one's land"
The first one is Bombay Beach in California, a old resort on the Salton Sea Rivera, that has become one of the poorest communities in California, filled with a multitude of decrepit buildings, odd housing structures and golf carts.
The second location was next to the White Place close to Abiqui, New Mexico. This high, stark-white rock formation surrounded by fine sand and seashells became known through paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe.
Another version of this work was made during the exhibition "In search of a place and butterflies" 2016.
I
put a banner on the floor in the midst of the exhibition space saying
"NO TRESPASAR – DO NOT CROSS" 2016, as you can see in museums.
2017 There are no more landscapes
"There are no more landscapes" 2017 photo 16 stills 40X50cm
There are no more landscapes " 2017 video 2'46" by Eddy De Buf