FUTURE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Nel Bonte, Johan Gelper, Ted Green, Franky Michielsen, 
Ken'ichiro Taniguchi, Monique Thomaes

19 November - 16 December 2023 

Eva Steynen Gallery presents 'Future present continuous'. This group exhibition has a multidisciplinary approach and presents work by six Belgian and international artists who are collaborating with the gallery for the first time. A mix of artists from different generations, each with their own view of expressing thoughts and feelings through painting, sculpture, neon-objects or photography. Reflecting on the presents of time, as a moment, a continuum or non-chronological fragments. Time continuing over a specific period, happening now and connecting, immediate and continuous. We invite you to a warm momentum.

NEL BONTE

The sculptural work of Nel Bonte has a strong visual narrative. The works are minimal in line and playful at the same time. By putting works with different textures and vocabulary together in a scenography, she creates new connections referring to elements out of our everyday live. The basis of the works are 'objects trouvés' and structures of architecture that inspire her.

In Bonte's work refers to everyday elements and architecture.The interpretation and reconstruction of existing models form the basis of her work. A water tower, a toy or a dispenser, sculptures sometimes strongly resemble scale models or prototypes making the interaction with the audience. And there is always a gentle humor around the corner.

Nel Bonte (°1986, B, works and lives in Antwerp) holds a master visual arts (KASK Antwerp) she exhibits since 2010 mainly in Belgium. Recent exhibitions are ‘Kamers van Zé’, Antwerp, ‘Oreilles géometrique’, Berlare, ‘De Biennale van ideeën’ curated by Hans Martens, Menen; ‘Beestig’, crated by Jan Moeyaert, Damme; ‘Alle rechte lijnen zijn gebogen’, CC De Ververij, curated by Jan Leconte, Ronse (B); ‘Composte', curated by Els Wuyts, Herzele.

JOHAN GELPER

The sculptures of Johan Gelper are often described as 'spacial drawings'. The lines are sharp, the colors bright. They refer to a colorful minimalism of the 20th century. The open sculptures elevate the everyday object into poetical and energetic transformations. Industrial made objects are integrated with realms of an artificial nature.

A metal foot makes a subtle bend with a twist. or a dance in the air. An umbrella becomes a flower.

The work of Johan Gelper always turns a smile on your face.
Johan Gelper (°1980, B, lives and works in Ghent) graduated with distinction in Painting at LUCA School of Arts, Ghent and Mixed Media, postgraduate in audiovisual and visual art at Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Ghent. Prize Young Artists 2007 & 2008 (S.M.A.K. Ghent) and had numerous exhibitions in Belgium and abroad. His work was recently on view in Zürich, CH; CC De Ververij, Ronse; Zweefkracht en zwaartevlucht, Curator: Edith Ronse, Hof ter Saksen, Beveren; Ladekastproject, PHŒBUS, Rotterdam; Ballroom project 2 with DMW Art Space, Antwerp;har. art gallery, Rotterdam; D'Apostrof, Meigem.

TED GREEN

Ted Green’s paintings are based on the idea of musical rhythms, basically combining different sets of repeating acoustic signals to create a piece of music. He works with color and line, and not with sound, but the core concept is the same: interweaving sets of repeating visual elements. The works develop in a very organic manner - one mark at a time, or rather, one set of repeated marks at a time. Much of his studio practice is analytical planning, measuring and alter stencils. And then the application of paint onto the surface can be gestural and inexact.

Ted Green (°1963, California, USA. Lives and works in Düsseldorf, D) studied art at the University of California and holds Master in painting, Prof. Markus Lüpertz, Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (D), recent exhibitions Coelner Zimmer, Düsseldorf (D) Mogoșoaia Palace, Mogoșoaia (RO); Galerie Ostendorff, Münster (D), Galerie Andreas Binder, München (D) Space-O; Düsseldorf (D)

FRANKY MICHIELSEN

The particular paintings by Franky Michielsen (°1965, lives and works in Antwerp) are phantom-like landscapes, based on found images he reintegrates, transformers and combines. Through the process of transforming he reduces the landscapes until their essence. With this material he starts painting. We see estranged landscapes in which geometrical figures are placed as fragments out of a story or a dream, triggering the imagination of the spectator.

Franky Michielsen (°1965, lives and works in Antwerp) exhibits since 2005. His work was on view at Dagmar De Pooter Gallery and 'Phading', Museum Elsene, curated by Sven Vanderstichelen. Recent exhibitions are a.o. collectie Das Dingenen Duffel, Zichten, Kemmel curated by Christophe Dehaene; CC Zwaneberg, Heist-op-den-Berg, 'Beestig' stadsfestival Damme, curator Jan Moeyaert; gallery Morbee, Knokke.

KEN'ICHIRO TANIGUCHI

The rather unusual sculptures by Ken'ichiro Taniguchi are for the first time on view in Belgium. The basis are found cracks in in the urban space, transformed through a lot of craftsmanship into 3-dimensional layers in hard PVC which can be folded and unfolded.

Taniguchi's works are so-called 'Hecomi': cracks and fissures or broken off and damaged areas, created by natural forces, on man-made surfaces such as roads or walls. By looking only at their shape one can see that even hecomi, which have a bad image of being old and dirty, have various attractive characteristics such as surprising novelty, heartwarming charm and overwhelming power.

The 'Belgian series' are made at the occasion of this exhibition and based on 'The Hecomi fittings', which is the act of laying a shiny yellow piece of PVC with an inorganic texture right into the crack, represents the attempt to change its negative being to something light, pop, and positive. Starting by tracing the crack with pen on transparent foil, to create the sculpture’s basic template. This template is applied to yellow PVC and cut out by hand carefully. The resulting form is then cut down again into smaller parts and eventually re-assembled with the help of hinges. The crack's positive double can literally be folded and unfolded into different variations.

'Hecomi Fitting, the Belgian series': click on image for the explanation movie

Ken'ichiro Taniguchi (°1976, Sapporo, JP, lives and works in Berlin and Sapporo) studied Fine arts at the university of Hokkaido, Japan. He exhibits his work since 2001 in Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and Japan. Recent his work was on view at a.o. Higashikawa Arts Exchange Center, Hokkaido, Japan; J.R. Artbox, Sapporo, Japan; Sebastian Fath Contemporary, Mannheim, (D); Phoebus Rotterdam, the (NL); Mikiko Sato Gallery temporary, Hamburg,(D); The House of Paper Museum, Berlin, (D); Daejeon Art and Science Biennale (KR); N2 galeria, Barcelona, (ES); Japan museum Siebold Huis, Leiden (NL). His work is held in several important collections a.t.a. Foundation Maeght (FR), DKV Foundation, (ES), Museum Rotterdam.

MONIQUE THOMAES

Monique Thomaes works with light as a visual material. In this exhibition she showcases two aspects representing her oeuvre. The capturing of the light in the Belgium Pavilion in Venice was shown as a video installation at the INBOX in the M HKA, the museum of contemporary Art in Antwerp.

Everything started for Thomaes in Berlin in late 1980's, where she was living, and was inspired by the glass protection of the paintings in a museum, reflecting the surrounding space. Since more than four decades Thomaes' research consist of how to make light visible in our surrounding space and how to present this three-dimensional perception.

During the ten years Monique Thomaes (°1942, working and living in Antwerp) was living in Berlin she installed different interventions. Recently she presented a video installation in Fort 5, Edegem, curated by Marc Ruyters. Other recent exhibitions in Belgium are Pavilion, Muhka, Antwerp, Museum De Mindere, Sint-Truiden, Licht Museum Roeselare, De Mijlpaal, Knokke.

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