no needs an another mountain
curated by Evelyn Simons
Boulevard Barthélémy 13 BRUSSELS
April 12 - 28 , 2018
Ballon Rouge Collective is pleased to present Philip Janssens’ no needs an another mountain, curated by Evelyn Simons in Brussels, Belgium.
Philip’s work evokes a certain frustration with its spectators, teasing their gaze with materials that defy hierarchy in composition, that negate focal points and hypnotize. He distances himself from methodologies inherent to conceptual art in that he does not consider his objects as conduits for other meanings waiting to be revealed. Rather, his work questions the nature of the object itself, namely how its existence in time and space bears an essential contradiction - his objects are always subject to the subjectivity of perception.
He explores the notion of the simulacrum; the object itself only functions as a trigger for the image constructed in the mind of the viewer. The relationship between the objective entity and its subjective imprint in memory stands at the forefront of his practice, resulting in works that are difficult to be captured through sight, and to an extent, even more challenging to be photographed. Philip causes confusion, manifest in the incapability to fully understand and regain focus over his works.
A series of shimmering woven pieces, made out of reflective fabric, either capture or block off incoming light and remain as if afloat, in seeming disregard of natural laws of physics. The intensive process of weaving the works by hand anticipates the meditative state that they exert on their spectators. His ongoing series of ink black frames consist of layers of various prints, covered with opaque plexiglass as to obscure (in)sight and stir curiosity with what remains hidden. Aside from these visual diversions, Philip is equally interested in the peculiarities of magnetic strength, translated in works that disrupt gravity and confirm tension fields in the sense that they almost become tangible and visual. Woven magnetic fabric draped against galvanized metal slabs, or nearly organic-looking heaps of Euro coins creep up as fragments of a singular substance that connect all. All of these components are repetitive, serial and remain interchangeable within the larger scope of their structures. They disregard uniqueness and occur collectively in an act of visual and tangible vibration.
Philip’s teasing attitude is idiosyncratic in the sense that the work needs the perception of the spectator in order to be activated, to establish itself into existence by way of its mental imprint.
On the occasion of no needs an another mountain, Philip and Evelyn invited several performers and musicians to activate the immersive exhibition setting.