els dietvorst · els dietvorst/portfolio. september 3, 2016 15 the return of the swallows’....

ELSDIETVORST/PORTFOLIO.September3,2016

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ELSDIETVORSTFILMS-INSTALLATIONS-DRAWINGS-SCULPTURE.Recentdocumentation(selection).

Content:‘ONEWASKILLEDFORBEAUTY,THEOTHERONEWASSHOT,THETWOOTHERSDIEDNATURALLY’(pgs2-4)Soundpiece:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK5YArCSEfA‘THERABBITANDTHETEASEL”(pgs5-9)trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04unKiUjtL4 http://therabbitandtheteasel.com ‘THEBLACKLAMB’(pgs11-13)www.theblacklamb.org‘AWALKWITHACM’(pgs13-14)https://vimeo.com/61335044Aslongastheblackbirdsings,13’35https://vimeo.com/61286604‘THERETURNOFTHESWALLOWS’(pgs15-17)‘DRAWINGS’(pgs18-21)‘SCULPTURES/SKULL’(pgs22-26)


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“ONEWASKILLEDFORBEAUTY,THEOTHERONEWASSHOT,THETWOOTHERSDIEDNATURALLY”SOLO-EXPOSITIONINARGOS,CENTREFORARTANDMEDIA,BRUSSELS.MAY3RD-JUNE29TH2014CURATEDBYROLFQUAGHEBUER,DIRECTOROFARGOS.PRODUCEDBY:ARGOS,KAAITHEATRE,KUNSTENFESTIVALDESARTS,CERA,IMAGINE(EUROPE)http://theblacklamb.org

“Thevideos,drawings,andwritingsofElsDietvorstexploreanti-utopianthemessuchassocialconflictandsurvivalinthemargins.Afewyearsago,thisself-proclaimed‘urbanartist’movedtotheIrishvillageofDuncormick,whereshehassincelivedandworkedtotherhythmoftheelementsandtheseasons.In2014,attheKunstenfestivaldesarts,Dietvorstpresentsaseriesofworksonmigrationandalteredlivingconditions.WithArt-Coeur-Merci,theartistbidsfarewelltothecityinwhichshelivedandworkedforyears.InthefilmTheRabbitandtheTeasel,integrallyshotintheIrishcountryside,fictionandautobiographicalelementsareinterwovenintoalyricaltalethatdragstheviewerintoaworldofbeauty,death,anddecay.FollowingitspremiereattheKaaitheater,thefilmcanbeseenatArgos,inparallelwithanexhibitionofnewwork.Theperformance,film,andexhibitiontogetherformapathwaybetweencityandcountryside,betweencentreandperiphery.”(seepublicationKunstenfestivaldesarts)


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THERABBITANDTHETEASELFILM,53”,DVD-HD.BELGIANPREMIEREINKUNSTENFESTIVALDESARTS,BRUSSELS.MAY15TH2014INTERNATIONALPREMIERE,VISIONSDUREEL,NYON,SWITSERLAND,APRIL17TH2015Selectedinfestivals:2016 ‘5thEcofalanteEnvironmentalFilmFestival,SaoPaulo,Brasil.2015 FestivalPlanèteHonnête,France.

FestivalFilmeratoutprix,(PanorameBelge),Belgium.Festivaldeipopoli,Italy.KilmoreQuaydocumentaryfestival,Ireland.WexfordArtcenter,Ireland.Blackstairsruralfilmfestival,Ireland.

PRESS:“ThefilmmatchesbeautifullcinematographywithadarknarrativeaboutatimeinTJ.’syounglifewhenhegrewuponafarminIreland.”(DamienOReilly-Countrywide-18/04/2015)

“InatimelesssettingontheIrishcountryside,acontemporaryparableunfolds,asenchantingasitisconfronting.Life,deathandmiraclesofanIrishfarmerfamily.Arealautobiographytransformsintofictionandcomesbacktoanevendeepernotionofreality.Somemaypossiblyargueabouttheexcessoffiction,butartificehasrarelybeenmorenaturalandappropriate.Dealingwithmemory,thefilmacknowledgesthatourperceptionoftheworldmixesrealfactswithconstructedemotionalimpressions.Amasterfulnarrative,anextremelyaccurateworkonthetextsandthepowerfulaestheticsoftimelessrurallandscape,perfectlycombinewiththeslowandrelentlesspaceofremembranceandthemelancholyofalostinnocence.“(PaoloMoretti,CatalogueVisionsduReel,Nyon,April2015.)

“…amasterpiece”,DirkBraeckmaninnationalBelgiannewspaperDeMorgen(May2014).“…acontemporaryparabel!”SamSteverlinckinArtmagazineKunsthart.(May2014)“Inaworldwherepettyopinions,hysteria,commotionandemotionhavebecomethenormandneo-liberalhumanityisrapidlylosingsightofthepathtohappiness,TheRabbitAndTheTeaselisabreathoffreshair.Fictionandautobiographicalelementsmingleinalyricaltalethatdragstheviewerintoauniverseofbeauty,death,anddecay.AuthoranddirectorElsDietvorstzoomsinontherawrealityofarainyyearthatdrivesthefarmertodespair.InatimelesssettingontheIrishcountryside,acontemporaryparableunfolds,asenchantingasitisconfronting.”(KathleenWeyts,ED2,May2014)

Credits:WrittenanddirectedbyElsDietvorst.DOP:HansBruchJr.-SoundbyGillesLaurent-EditedbySimonArazi.Voice-overLiamHeffernan.Production:TondoFilms(B),Co-production:Kunstenfestivaldesarts,Kaaitheatre,Argos,Brussels.Withsupportfrom:FLANDERSAUDIOVISUALFUND

http://therabbitandtheteasel.com


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IMAGESOFTHERABBITANDTHETEASEL.


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THEBLACKLAMB.(WEXFORD,IRELAND2012-2014)

www.theblacklamb.org

PREMIEREDINBURNINGICE#5KAAITHEATRE,BRUSSELS,MAY2012SECONDUPDATEINBURNINGICE#6KAAITHEATRE,BRUSSELS,MARCH2013LASTUPDATEINEXPO“Onewaskilled…”,ARGOS,BRUSSELS,MAY2014“Thedocumentary-makerandvisualartistElsDietvorstrecentlymovedfromBrusselstoIreland.FromasheepfarminDuncormicksheisworkingonafilmprojectandyoucankeepupwithhowit'sgoingonherwebdoc.Theprojectfurtherexplorestheoftenanti-utopianthemesofherearlyfilmwork:social-civilconflictandtheeverydayfightforsurvival.Onceagain,shestartsfromafascinationwithoutsiders–peoplewhomakearadicalchangeintheirlifeandendupsomewhereonthemarginsofsociety.ForTheBlackLambDietvorstshadowsseveralofherneighboursintheirdailyworkandlives(andsurvival).ShesketchesapictureofthecurrenthumanconditioninIreland,butalsoofpeopleandnatureinthe21stcentury.TheBlackLambunfoldedoverathree-yearperiodwithseasonalupdates.”

CreditsWritten,filmedanddirectedbyElsDietvorst.EditedbySimonArazi.SounddesignbyGillesLaurent.WebDesignbyFrederiqueLagast/VoiceoverbyLiamHeffernan.ContentEditingbySorchaHylandProducedbyArielleSleutelWithsupportfrom:FLANDERSAUDIOVISUALFUNDCo-production:Kunstenfestivaldesarts,Kaaitheatre,Argos,Brussels.CERA,Imagine(Europe).


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SCREENSHOTSTHEBLACKLAMB.


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ACM/THEWHOLESTORY.(BRUSSELS,BELGIUM2009-2014)

‘AWALKWITHACM’:PREMIEREDINKUNSTENFESTIVALDESARTS,BRUSSELSMAY2009.

‘ASLONGASTHEBLACKBIRDSINGS’,KUNSTENFESTIVALDESARTS,ARGOS,BRUSSELS,VIENNA.MAY2009

ART-COEUR–MERCI’,SOLO-EXPOSITIONINMUSEUMGUISLAIN,GHENT,NOVEMBER2011

‘ART-COEUR–MERCI’,PERFORMANCE&VIDEO,KAAITHEATRE,KUNSTENFESTIVALDESARTS,BRUSSELS,MAY2014

‘ART-COEUR–MERCI’,PERFORMANCE&VIDEO,THEATREFRASCATI,AMSTERDAM,JANUARY2014

‘I’MGOINGTOMYCHICKENS,MONOLOGUEFORDIRKROOFTHOOFT,PLANNEDINKAAITHEATREANDDUBLINTHEATREFESTIVAL,2018

ACMisaragpicker,apoet,awalker,philosopher,architect,sculptor,scavenger.Heconsumedwhateverwethrowaway.ACMstandsforArt-Coeur-Merci.Art-Heart-Thankyou.ACMwasborninCameroonandendedupinBelgiumforseveralreasons.ThemomentImethim,helived,inanabandonedindustrialhousingstatenearthecanalBrussel-Charleroi,ontheedgeofthecity.ThemomentIwantedtomakeafilmabouthim,hedisappeared.Hisshedwasburneddownandihadrecuperatedworks,drawingsandbelongings.Thefilm‘Aslongastheblackbirdsings’(1)isafilmbasedofwhatIcouldexperienceofACM’slife,mixedwithexperiencesandstoriesoutofWalden(HenryDavidThoreau).Ifollowedhimthroughallthisdifferentperiodsofhislifeandportrettedhimin3differentfilms.NeverdidIexperienceart,livingandsurvivingsocloselyentwined.Thissharedexperienceisturnedintothemonologue‘I’MGOINGTOSEETOMYCHICKENS’.ThemonologuewillbeperformedinMay2018bythefamousBelgianactorDirkRoofthooft.

CreditsCamera,written&directedbyElsDietvorstCamera&editingbySimonAraziProducedbyFirefly,supportedbyKaaitheatre,KunstenfestivaldesartsBrussels,Arthouse,Vienna.


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SCREENSHOTSAWALKWITHACM.


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THERETURNOFTHESWALLOWS’.Migration,Identityandmetamorphoses.(BRUSSELS,BELGIUM,2000-2008)

Theproject‘Thereturnoftheswallows’(1999-2005)wasconsideredasaprocessbuiltonanevolutionfromindividualtocollectivecreation.Therefore,theprojectfocusedoncommunicationbetweenindividuals,asa’grouptobecome’;communicationina‘sociallydeprived’neighbourhood(Anneessens,Brussel),betweenindividualsasmembersofcollectivebuiltondiversity(the‘Swallows’).Eachindividuallife-storybecamealeverformultimediacreation.Thesocialrelationsarethenourishingsource,thefoundationofcreativityinthisprojectwhiletheartisticisapoeticandvitalforcethatfeedsintoadiversityofdynamics,asacatalystthaturgesindividualsfromdiverseculturesandorigintobecreative.Semi-documentaryprocesseshadtostimulatecommunicationandimaginarypoweroftheparticipants.ThebreedinggroundforthisprojectistheAnneessensquarterinBrussels.Thetitleoftheproject‘Thereturnoftheswallows’hasasymbolicvalueandreferstothemanymigrationflowsandthewealthofpersonalhistoriesthatcamethroughthisneighbourhoodformanydecades.TilltodayAnneessensmustcontendwith‘metropolitan’problems:unemployment,theneedforhigherqualityhousingandpublicserviceprovisionandasignificantpresenceofyoungmigrantsfrustratedbyidlenessandtemptedbypettycrime.Viapersonalauditionsandcollectiverehearsalsagroupoftwenty-twopeople(‘Swallows’)startedtoworkwithmeforfiveyears.Theirrootsliewithinakaleidoscopeofcountries:MoroccoorItaly,Reunion,Columbia,Togo,Congo,Egypt,Russia,IranandBelgium;mostofthemrecentlylandedinBrussels.Thesetwenty-twoprotagonistsaretheco-creatorsofthisproject.Theyallleadtheirownlife,withtheirstories,dreamsanddesires.Fragmentsfromthesestoriesandemotionsserveasthebasisfortheworkweproduced.Themesaremigration,identityandmetamorphosis,collectiveaswellasindividual.Afterfiveyearsofcollectiveworkandpersonalsharingthe‘Swallows’hadbecomeaclosely-knitcollectiveandthesocio-artisticprocesseswerematerialisedintovideo-movies,performances,documentariesandpublishedmagazines.‘Weenjoybeingthe‘Swallows’,becauseitkeepsustogether,itmakesexpressourdesires,itenablesustodream.Becauseitshowsusthereexiststogethernessacrossthediversityofpeopleandgoesagainsthumanprejudices:itshowsaHumanasaHuman,andnotasanopinionorajudgment,infullrespectofdiversity.’(RachidAjerrar-swallowsparticipant)


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IMAGESFROM‘CHURCHTAPES’


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IMAGESFROM‘MAGAZINENR.2‘THERETURNOFTHESWALLOWS.


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DRAWINGS.(2000-2014)DRAWINGSINCOLLECTIONOFTHECERA-FOUNDATIONANDPRIVATECOLLECTIONS.DRAWINGSINBOOK‘ED’,‘ED2’DRAWINGSSHOWNINDEMORGEN,NATIONALNEWSPAPER

Drawingisanimportantpartofmyartpractice,inmydrawingsIcancreateawholesurreelworld.Mostlytheyarethebaseforallmyvisualwork.Idrawsince2000withpenandink.Theink,red-bloodcolor,Imakemyself.Theformatandpaperarenearlyalwaysthesame.Mydrawingsareinprivatecollectionsandareshownindifferentexpositions.IwasalsoaskedtomakebookcoversandwasinvitedbyDeMorgen(between2003-2006)tomakedrawingsforthisNationalnewspaper.DRAWINGSSHOWNINMUSEUMM,DRAWINGSFROMTHECERACOLLECTION,LOUVAIN,BELGIUM.JUNE2014.


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NEWDRAWINGS2014,SHOWNINEXHIBITION‘ONEWASSHOT…’,ARGOS.MAY2104.


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SCULPTURE-INSTALLATIONSKULL(2003-2015)Sculptureisbesidedrawing,writingandvideoanimportantmediuminmyartpractice.IstartedtheSkull-seriesoutofdisbelieveandangerontheblackpagesofhumanhistory.TheSkull-sculpturesbecameametaphorforuselessviolenceand

asymbolforhumanrespect,gatheringandtranscendance.Thefirstsculpture(SKULL1-1999)wasahugeskull,madeofwoodandloam,buildinmystudioinBrasschaat(Antwerp)whichwasonthattimeinthemiddleofamilitarybase.

ThenextSkull(SKULL2-2008)wasmadeontheroofoftheMUHKA,MuseumofmodernartinAntwerpandwasareactionontheWaronterror.ThethirdSkull(SKULL3-2014)wasmadeduringthetendaysoftheMoscowBiennalofcontemporaryartandwasametaphorforimmigration,respectandhumantranscendence.TheformofeveryskullisbasedontheSkullofaNeanderthaler.TheNeanderthalerisoftenpicturedinhistoryasabrutebutwaspeacefullandsharedpeacefullrituals.TheyvanishedwhenmodernhumansarrivedinEurope.TheteethinalloftheSkull-seriesarehumanbeingsreferingto‘us’thepeople.MostlyIusenaturalmaterialsaswood,loamandclaytogivethesculpturesafragileskin.TheSkullsculpturesalsoserveasarefuge,youcanhide,shelter,meetinit.IseetheSkullseriesasastrongsymbolthatlinksusandthatbelongstousall,humans.Iseeitalsoasafragileandatthesametimestrongmetaphoragainstviolence.

“In2009,ontheroofofMuHKAinAntwerp,sheexhibitedthegiganticworkSkull,afigureinacage,fashionedfrommudandwood.ThispowerfullyvisualworkisDietvorst’swayofreactingtothenumerousimagesofwarthatthemediafloodsuswith.ThisspecificworkalludestoGuantanamo;tosolitaryconfinementincages.Dietvorstmadealife-sizedmodelofoneofthem,inhabitedbyagiganticskull.Ontheroofofthemuseum,theheadappearstobeimprisonedinadovecote,whichcanbeviewedfromanearbybench.Afterawhile,twopigeonsbuilttheirnestinthecageandhatchedouttheireggsthere–thusapieceaboutmurderfacilitatesthecreationofnewlifeatatotallydifferentlevel…”(EvaWittocx,ED2)


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SKULL3:MOSCOWBIENNALOFCONTEMPORARYART.2015.


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SKULL2:MUSEUMOFCONTEMPORARYARTINANTWERP,2008.


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SKULL1:STUDIOMILITARYBASE,ANTWERP.2004.

els dietvorst · els dietvorst/portfolio. september 3, 2016 15 the return of the swallows’....

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