‘VerteerWezen 1 (crouching orange)’ 2017
wooden child’s chair, wood, aluminum modeling mesh, papier maché
ao exhibited in ‘VerteerWezens in BIG ART’ 2019 and
in ‘VerteerWezens in Mirrors of Time’ 2020
curated by Annemie van Laethem, Eric Roux and Mat Verberkt in Castel d’Asprémont-Lynden, Oud Rekem, B 2020
and later in ‘CounterBodies’ 2021 Rotterdam

my sculptures are never objects to me; they are intermediaries between an aspect of me and the outside world - and vice versa - and the viewer. My visual method is as i have been doing for years: i focus on the physical ‘affect-rich’ responses i have to an experience - and the concepts related to it. by materializing these, my works manifest different ‘states of self’.

‘VerteerWezens’ is a series of spatial objects, started in 2017. the title can be roughly translated as ‘digested-beings’ or ‘digesting beings’.
in each ‘VerteerWezen’, rejected objects or utensils from my home or studio are combined, with aluminium modelling mesh, cardboard and/or other materials.
this is often covered with a layer of papier maché made from shredded left-over papers, magazines, egg boxes and other waste paper. in this way, used objects, materials and older art works are “digested” by turning them into creatures/beings.
by photographing myself behind/with these sculptures, the relation between the affect-rich object and my concrete physical body becomes clear.
the series ‘VerteerWezens’ is ongoing, and so are the related photo works.

all ‘VerteerWezen’ works: ‘VerteerWezen 1 (crouching orange)’ 2017 / ‘VerteerWezen 2 (standing blue)’ 2018 / ‘VerteerWezen 3 (reclining black)’ 2017 / ‘VerteerWezen 4 (lying greens)’ 2018 / ‘VerteerWezen 5 (red arms)’ 2018 / ‘VerteerWezen 6 (cowering in suitcase)’ 2020 / ‘VerteerWezen 7 (lilac shredded)’ 2019 / ‘VerteerWezen 8 (red DenkRaum)’ 2019 / ‘VerteerWezen 9 (skins and stones)’ 2019 / ‘VerteerWezen 10 (in yellow arms)’ 2019 / ‘VerteerWezen 11 (protest&berusting)’ 2020 / ‘VerteerWezen 12 (growing teeth)’ 2020 / ‘VerteerWezen 13 (carrying sleigh)’ 2020-2023 / ‘VerteerWezen 14 (embrace rejection)’ 1984-2021 / ‘AAN-balance together’ 2021 / ‘VerteerWezen 15 (retrieved arms)’ 2020-2022 / ‘VerteerWezen 16 (white shield)’ 2021-2022 / ‘VerteerWezen 17 (open up - remade)’ 2003-2023 / ‘VerteerWezen 18 (bird cover)’ 1977- / ‘VerteerWezen 19 (old pain) 1984- / ‘VerteerWezen 20 (snowwhite revisited)’ 2022-2023 / ‘VerteerWezen 21 (cornered)’ 2023-2026 / ‘VerteerWezen 22 (dealing with discomfort/discomfort pair)’ 2024-2025 / ‘VerteerWezen 23 (porcelain arms)’ 2011-2024 / ‘VerteerWezen 24 (façade des façades)’ 2006-2016-2025 / ‘VerteerWezen 25 (reikende gekleed)’ 1991-2025 / ‘VerteerWezen 26 (old morale)’ 1976-2026 /

all ‘VerteerWezen’ photo works: ‘DenkRaum’ 2019 / ‘behind skins and stones’ 2019 / ‘behind red arms’ 2020 / ‘behind shredded lilac’ 2019 / ‘embracing rejection’ 2021 / ‘behind arms’ 2022 / ‘hiding behind witheid (whiteness)’ 2022 / ‘GreenDressFun’ 2021-2023 / ‘embracing old pain, standing’ 2024 /

other carrier works: ‘Frog & Princess’ 1990 / ‘wringing’ 1994 / ‘orante’ 1995 (wood) / ‘revolving in this sheath of (im)possibilities’ 2011 (ceramic) /

other mumbag works: ‘MADRAS’ 2004 / ‘claiming space for the first touch’ 2002 /