ROELAND HUYS

<< SCRAP-ALTAR//CELEBRATING THE SYMBOL >>

wood scrap, neon lights and black paint + traces of incense- Ghent (B) 2012

The first time the symbol appeared as a physical entity, was during the act of “territorial expansion” (2007), underlining the idea and the process of “work=life=work” simultaneously . It functioned as an indication of my presence/ activity ,within a certain context, ever since. Five years later the symbol still remains and slowly becomes a true reference to its given content. In that sense it reaches out to its purpose >> to communicate meaning.
The symbol is not determined by a fixed shape and holds the privilege to alter itself or adapt to a pre-set environment.

>> Scrap-altar was constructed on the occasion of “bright tomorrow”, a group show curated by Lieven Cateau at “De Witte Moor”, Ghent.
All materials used, were collected on the way to the exhibition space, and some partially recycled from the site where C.S. was constructed.

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<< COMMEMORATVE SHANTY >>

wood scrap, used windows, chimney and neon lights - Wetteren (B) 2011

C.S. is a project which focuses on a twofold social-issue.
The basic idea grew from a realization concerning the lack of affordable housing within the area of Bruges. At the time, I was employed as a social worker, which included the assist of finding a studio/ apartment/ house… for people, according to a very tight budget or minimum wage… “impossible” was often an understatement. Anticipating on this problem, I attempted to build a shelter on a “zero” budget.
Looking at slums in third-world countries and how people provide in accommodation with any materials they can find…, it was obvious that I should include this principle. Therefore all materials used, are recycled from scraps or the deconstruction of existing structures and objects within a 30 km-radius around the space where C.S. was constructed.

>> C.S. embodies both affordable housing and ecologic consciousness.
>> C.S. is the representation of an idea and chooses not to be functional in its design.

All images for C.S. © Tom Callemin

CS1

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<< SAMPLE BOX >>

A spatial Dada-object (+/- 200 x 200 x 200) mixed media,
in collaboration with Walt van Beek and Jonathan Leung Hoi Yat, for ‘SORRY I WAS BUSY DOING ART’-expo, in the context of LHYJ+WVB artist-in-residence @ Recyl-art artcenter,
Brussels, Belgium (2010) -text by Jonathan Leung Hoi Yat

A geometrical, pure form (a cube) was built as a container containing (the sampling of) previous works
produced during the period of 3 months at residency Recyclart.
This object/installation refers to the reserve-storing-archiving of (art-)works, that are highly valued
and reserved for future use. Stacking different artworks (preserving them) together, balanced on one side,
quasi in motion/in progress, the cube tends to fall, but is form-fixed. Every side of the cube presents a different narrative.
Wood as a structural element, artworks as 'content', street-furniture and found objects are multi-laterally equal in this one work.
An all-concealing spatial Dada construction, ode to the Constructivists (see title). When moving the positioning of the cube, the (outlook of the) work will change as a result of the (re-)use of different media (lightbox, textures, materials, moving LED-letters..)

>> used objects:
* moving LED ("Hail the Constructivists, too much curators, too less art (sic).
Because there’s never gonna be enough space…’") by LHYJ; oneliners, fast, direct pieces of manifesto.
* World Without Strangers-lightbox by RH
* GLÄSO, pieces of previous sculpture/project by WVB
* Special Offer-tape bought in Guangzhou, used and presented as sculpture/art by WVB
* Triptych of curtains, "schoon motiefke" by LHYJ,
* found objects: street-pole/- fence (thanks to the city of Brussels)
In it's multitude the entire cube/object presents itself -again- as an installation that is one work (on itself),taking three artists and their preconceptions into account. A new diversified and all-concealing work rather than three different and separate works and visions....

A replica of Sample Box is installed at Chinese Restaurant, Lam & Yin, Reyndersstraat 17, Antwerp 2000 (B)

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<< WORLDWITHOUTSTRANGERS >>

Photo of my dear friend Jonathan Leung Hoi Yat, wearing a smart T-shirt. The picture was taken after a descent from the Convent of a thousand buddhas at Sha Tin (HONG KONG), while consuming the necessary refreshing "soft" drinks. The image was striking in the sense that the epigraph contained an ambiguity as to the massive population in the city of Hong Kong, to the loneliness of the individual experience of someone who is lost in translation, within an environment that is alien to him.(2008)

painted version for red bull sound academy at democrazy (Ghent)
oil on canvas - 400, 200 cm (2008)

wwspainting

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<< NUCLEOpuurNUCLEO >>

allroundview

NpN is a series of events, which aims at a closer connection between the organisation of Nucleo and its residents. This third edition was organised at de kattenberg in Ghent. For the occasion I provided the group of participants with some fusion-wok. It was a mix of several dishes, served at the restaurant where I worked at the time. The huskies delivered its D.J. to "move the crowd". - Ghent (B) 2009
- Nucleo is an organisation who provides affordable workspaces for artists within the region of Ghent -

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<< OPEN STUDIO >>

supports, wood scrap, plexiglass and neon lights inside a sealed off workspace - residence @ Nucleo Ghent (B) 2009

in addition to the event above, the workplace was viewable through a semi-transparent secretion, revealing a glimpse of the current situation.

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<< BOXOFFICE >>

wooden box, plexiglass and neon lights - residence @ Nucleo Ghent (B) 2008

The work contains all elements of my workspace at that time, over a period of 3 months. It was exposed in my absence, during a couple of weeks. Not being able to participate physically and/or attend the opening show, I chose not to strive a conventional display of separate works. (I didn’t have the time anyway)


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<< REWORK >>

Rework highlights a period in time, where absolutely nothing constructive seemed to happen. It the time, I studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, managing a teachers-degree, standing alone-in-vision against a couple of section-squared lecturers. - photoshop-image-overlay - 2008

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<< STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLY OF EXISTENCE >>

Wooden arena and neon lights - residence at Lokaal 01 - Antwerp (B) 2007

The work highlights a period of activity within the context of the gallery. The intent was there, to what extent the process that unfolds within a fixed setting of a studio can be transferable to that of an exhibition space. The structure of the installation was built from within, so all traces of construction were preserved. By the addition of neon grew a relationship from the captured process within, to the environment outside the structure of the work. The logo on the wall functioned as an indication of my presence, and partly as a map for the structure.

S.A.O.E. was temporarily reconstructed at the faculty of architectural engineering of the VUB - Brussels (B) 2007

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<< TERRITORIAL EXPANSION >>

territorial expansion - logo and tricolon painted on the backside of Congres/ Sint-Lucas graduate school of fine arts - Antwerp (B) 2007 (in the picture: myself and Jon leung Hoi Yat)

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<< ENVIRONMENTAL VIEW >>

The image of Environmental view was used as a flyer for the exhibition of S.A.O.E. at Lokaal01. It was the starting-point to transfer the dynamics of the workplace to another context. (In the picture: Jon Leung Hoi Yat & Nikee Ismael Abimbola Afusat.)

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<< MANNERIST DISPLAY - remember Buren >> metal scraps for pattern lay-out, black & white tape and neon lights temporarily constructed during Expopxe at CC De Borre - Bierbeek (B) 2007 The mannerist display shows a flat enumeration of the different techniques I’ve been using in various installations until that point. It was the last time I worked with metal scraps, getting sick of squishing out pus from my fingers, caused by infecting iron-cuts. (The sub-title “remember Buren” is pretty obvious I guess)

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<< INDULGENCE >> metal scraps for pattern-layout in the choire of the Dominicanschurch during the exposition '7 in a state of art". A social art-project, curated by Fong Ponto - Antwerp (B) 2007 The title refers to a form of penance. It is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned. Although the lay-out of the pattern doesn’t necessarily relate to the cult of Christianity (or any other religion for that matter), the act itself could be experienced as a form of meditation – undergoing a sense of spirituality.

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<< F A T >> neon-advertisment with black and white tape Partially assembled from the FIAT-logo (the way it was used between 1968 and 1999). The work was on display the first time at "Flashshow", a one night event at the showroom of Congres - graduate school of fine arts, Sint Lucas - Antwerp (B) 2007 The installation was also on display in Bruges during the exhibition "Karel gaat vreemd",but lost all references with its original set-up, namely the context of an old FIAT-garage.

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<< LITTLE FRIEND >> Shotgun rapped in black & white ducktape