↳ Aligning (in situ), 2023↳ Biennale ARTour, 2023↳ Digital Dreams, 2023
Digital Dreams / ARTour
Group exhibition
curated by Kika Nicolela in collaboration with Philippe Franck, A Transcultures, Pépinières européennes de Création / ARTour - Central coproduction
supported by objkt, The largest Digital Art & Collectible marketplace on Tezos
25/06/2023- 10/09/2023, Musée de la Mine et du Développement durable · Bois-du-Luc - rue Saint-Patrice 2b, Houdeng-Aimeries, Belgium
Opening June 25 14:00, Open: Mon 14:00 - 20:30 | Wed 14:00 - 20:30 | Sat 10:00 - 14:30, Closed: 31/10 - 6/11 and on 11/11. More about the Biennale ARTour
About Biennale ARTour
The fourteenth edition of the ARTour biennial offers visitors the chance to discover exhibitions and installations in nine locations along a route from La Louvière to Braine-le-Comte, via Bois-du-Luc, Ecaussinnes and Soignies. Under the title Entre-Mondes, the works presented evoke undefined borders, between dream and reality, in-between spaces, both virtual and real. The guest artists approach these themes from different points of view. They reveal inner worlds or take a critical look at the world we live in today. Sensitively, they reveal what is possible, at the bifurcation of a world before and a world after, where we can project ourselves.
For over 10 years, Transcultures has regularly showcased creators from the Web Art, Net Art and online/network creation communities, whether in multiple online or physical exhibitions. With the advent of the NTF (Non Fungible Token - which allows a digital file to be made unique in the form of a cryptographic token stored on a blockchain), Transcultures has continued to support artists who, while they did not wait for the blockchain to offer their work, have in recent years seen their work finally receive recognition that goes beyond the digital creation community alone. Beyond historical considerations, a new, plural and global art scene has emerged, made up of artists, collectors, curators, exhibition venues, networks and so on.
It is in this context that the Brazilian artist Kika Nicolela, a visual artist and video maker, has proposed a selection of works by artists from her personal collection, which use different media, but which are all shown in NFT. These works are first and foremost experienced in the virtual world - on the viewer's mobile or computer screen, whether on a marketplace site, a virtual gallery or a metaverse exhibition.
NFTs represent a new market for digital files. It is also a new, plural and dynamic art scene. The artists selected for this exhibition challenge what the concept of 'real' (often contrasted with dream, virtual or fictional) might mean, by proposing singular 'in-between worlds'.
_rangga, 0x3y3, A L Crego, aitso, Alejandro Javaloyas, Anna Malina, canek zapata, Daeinc, Dan Curtis (Odd Jobs), David Umemoto, Diane Dubray, elbi,
Eric Souther, Eric Vernhes, Eugene Vashchenko, Evelyn O, Francoise Gamma, Futoji + decider, Gio Mariani, Guandanarian, guruguruhyena, hansup, hAyDiRoKeT, Helio Santos, Henrique Cartaxo, Itar Pas, Jason Hopkins (abhominal), Jerome Allavena, John Karel, Jon Cates, Ker Chen, la muerte de un perrito, LeChatN0ir, Leon Vilhena, Leston, Lídice Silveira, Linda Dounia, Marco Trevisani, Martina Menegon, Olivier Bodini, Pastelae, Patrick Tresset, qubibi, Renki Yamasaki, Sabato, Salawaki, Sky Goodman, Slava3ngl, Sobi Mutoharys, Somfay, Spøgelsesmaskinen, Stella Particula, stipinpixel, Strangepeo, Sub Net + WONOW, Thomas Israel, 𝘵𝘶.𝘶𝘬'𝘻, v5mt, Víctor Arce, Viola Rama
In ‘Aligning’ the viewer immediately recognizes the familiar human figures that are, since 2000, typical for the work of Hans Verhaegen.
It can be read as a simple, abstract play of colored lines. The use of the human figure however also inevitably raises possible associations. Perhaps we are watching a circus act? Or do the coloured lines symbolise the relationships we try to maintain between each other? Maybe it's also a selfie. All art works are selfies, there are no exceptions.
With a little stretch of the imagination, you would see here a portrayal of how the artist does his best to reconcile the different positions in which he wrings himselves daily.
Aligning is a work made with the same computer code used to create another similar work, called ‘Selfie’. The human figures are made by combining some basic forms (Square, rectangle and other tetris-like shapes). Each shape is defined by 4 numbers (vector points). It’s enough to change only one of these numbers, to strech a limb to create these choreographies of colored lines. A selection of the different variations genrerated by the computer code are combined into a GIF animation.
