The exhibition space as a pedestal for itself
at the Z33 - house for contemporary art
"You are probably familiar with my photographic work where I explore ʻarchitecture as an imageʼ in the virtual space.
Hereby I sample existing architecture and recompose it in new structures by means of ʻdigital photocollageʼ.
In this body of work I want to explore architecture as a sculptural form in space and time but also work on the archetypes and typolgies in architecture by shifting them slightly in order to change the ʻordinaryʼ into something ʻextra ordinaryʼ. Often this is perceived as a surreal act on architecture.
In some images I make a kind of critique on the existing architectural production. The architectural fantasie as a tool for reflection and comment.
What kind of emotions can a building provoke to the public.
My limits during the creation of these images is the thin line between reality and irrealty. How far can I go without slipping into science fiction. Plausibility is my guiding track.
After some time I wondered how I could translate my 2d imagery into 3d installations. It became clear that an exact spatial reproduction of my ʻcollagesʼ was not relevant."
Filip DUJARDIN, Portfolio 2015
An exhibition space is an envelope, a showcase for objects. But it also presents itself, immovable, steadfast, neutral and often modest. Z33 is no different.
These brick interventions are corrections on the architecture of the building. They sharpen the gaze of the visitor, making him or her more aware of the existing situation, and bring to the foreground an alternative, whether sensible or senseless.
The brick walls nestle like parasites in, on, over and behind the folds of the building and suggest how things could be, what might be coming.
This temporary 3d installation was accompanied by a photomontage (Untitled, from series 'Fictions', 2009)
This image shows an apartment building from the 1970s, somewhere in Flanders. A grid divides the facade and the residents. A collective conversion drastically changes the logic of the building.
The 'virtual' interventions of the renovation transform the building from a static rhythm into a more organic whole.
The brick renovation affects the original structure like a parasite, in this way transforming the building into a different and alternative solution, with a new logic and a new functionality.
Exhibition Design and Photo Credits : Filip DUJARDIN
This 3d installation + photomontage made part of a groupexhibition called 'Atelier à Habiter' Curator : Evelien Bracke