News

Variation VI disassembled 

Variation VI disassembled 

Instigated by the Corona crisis, I’ve decided to disassemble Variation VI into its 53 constituting elements. As an act of social distancing through art, the work has been taken apart into its building blocks and each piece is being sold separately – allowing the work to find a much wider audience and ownership. The modularity of the work has been made absolute: it will only exist as a building plan and individual pieces. 

Variation VI has never been shown publicly: it was supposed to be shown in a 2020 exhibition which was cancelled due to the corona crisis. I hope someday to be able to show it as a whole for a future exhibition, which will require the collaboration between 53 different owners of the building blocks – bringing them together through the act of separation.

There are 12 types of blocks, each available a number of times, depending of how many pieces are used in the Variation VI sculpture. Some - like the large bridge - are rarer than others, like the cube. Buyers will be able to choose their individual piece through the website. Each building block will come with a print of the building drawing. The original drawing will remain in the possession of the artist.

The print measures 30 x 42 cm. The blocks in the images above are more or less true to scale.

All the pieces of Variation VI are being sold through the Store on this website.

Participation at BALLROOM PROJECT#2

Conrad is participating at Ballroom Project#2, edition 2, an online initiative in support of artists, in partnership with 7 Belgian art galleries.

Everybody active in the arts sector has been severely affected by the Corona virus epidemic, but none more than young and emerging artists. 

The Ballroom Project aims to take action and release a digital version to the world of our 2020 edition. With this edition, we offer a curated online sales platform of unique artworks and editions between €60 and €2,500

The artworks on this platform are selected by galleries that would have participated in Ballroom Project#2, or are offered by artists that have been invited by the organisers of Ballroom.

 This way, we first and foremost want to support young artists. For every artwork sold through our platform, Ballroom guarantees that 70% of sales go directly to the artist. The remaining 30% is used to cover transportation, administration and other organisation costs. All prices are VAT inclusive and cover shipping for sales within Belgium. For international sales a small shipping fee is charged.

We hope that you enjoy the wonderful collection of art in this online edition of the Ballroom Project, and that you can find something to your liking among all these works. From our part, we hope that our social commitment and sales platform can help support artists in these trying times.

Installing works in Switzerland

Conrad and his father drove to Switzerland to install two of his sculptures at the upcoming Hortus Conclusus show at Museo Villa Dei Cedri in Bellinzona. 

‘I.XI.XIV’ is placed in the park surrounding the museum and Construction IV inside the Villa. Extensive preparations were made to assure a swift and safe installation. Thanks to advice from a former technical manager at Mobull Art Handling and Conrad’s past experience as an art handler, the three-day installation at the museum went fluently. 

Preparations In the museum garden entailed digging and pouring the fundaments for element 1 (cube) and element 11 (bridge). As both elements combined weigh 1080kg, they needed a structural base not to sink into the soil. 

‘Hortus Conclusus’ is on show from 21-03 till 09-08 at Museo Villa Dei Cedri in Bellinzona, Switzerland.

Production I.XI.XIV

Conrad started production of his latest sculpture named I.XI.XIV (1.11.14). He will be working amongst the stoneworkers at Potier Stone until its completion. Production is expected to take 5 to 6 weeks.

The magnificent sheets of red Belgian Marble (Rouge Griotte) have arrived last month. They have been generously provided by the owners of the Merbes Sprimont quarry. The structural and technical aspects of the three pieces have been worked out by Bart Wauters, R&D manager at Potier Stone. Two of the largest pieces have an internal metal structures on which the slabs of marble will be glued. 

The goal is to create seemingly massive marble volumes. The reason to choose this elaborate manner of constructing these from slabs of marble rather than just cutting massive pieces is twofold. Made from massive marble blocks, they would be very difficult to move and install. An installation inside a museum would be near impossible due to it exceeding the load bearing capacities of most floors. The second reason is to demonstrate the technical craftmanship by Potier Stone whom is one of three sponsors of the project.

This project has been made possible by the generous support by Potier Stone, De Merbes Sprimont and Cromarbo

Images were taken at Potier Stone for the exhibition ‘Hortus Conclusus’ at Museo Villa Dei Cedri, Bellinzona, Switzerland. The museum is open from 21 march till 09th of August 2020. 

Scenography Shéhérazade and L'heure espagnol

IMG_8466.jpg

Conrad has been asked by Opera Vlaanderen to design a scenography for 2 pieces on music by Maurice Ravel: Shéhérazade by choreographer Haider Al Timimi and L'heure espagnol directed by Tom Goosens. This diptych will be performed on the same night at the end of the opera season in July 2020.

Tristan Klingsor named a collection full of poems after the mysterious narrator Shéhérazade. Maurice Ravel chose three and set them to music: Asie, La Flûte enchantée and L’Indifférent. He leads us through exotic sounds, places and loves.
Ravel was also fascinated by Spain, as evidenced by his entertaining one-act L’Heure espagnol. The composer wanted to breathe new life into the comic Italian opera and serves it on a playful score, including the ticking clocks.

Conrad is working on a modular and adaptive scenography that will be used for both performances - more on this later!

Opera Gent
10 and 11th of July 2020
Tickets already available.

Merbes Sprimont, quarry visit

At the end of October Conrad visited the last Belgian red marble quarry that is still active in Vodelée owned by Merbes Sprimont.

For his next sculpture, I.XI.XIV (2020), that will be exhibited in the Museo Villa dei Cedri in Switzerland, Conrad will be using ‘Rouge Griotte’ marble mined from this quarry. The choice for this beautiful but undervalued Belgian marble is inspired by the special geological origin and its rich architectural history.

Site visit @ Museo Villa dei Cedri, Switzerland

Conrad was invited by Museo Villa dei Cedri, Bellinzona  Switzerland in preparation for the upcoming exhibition ‘Hortus Conclusus’, curated by Marco Costantini

The exhibition reinterprets in a contemporary key the Christian theme of the hortus conclusus (or enclosed garden) overlapping it with the classical myth of the abduction of Europe, a poetical illustration of the propagation of different civilizations from the Middle East to the West. This comparison questions the actual political situation: Is it better to be inside or outside the garden? Which is the correct side of the wall? From what dangers must it preserve us from?

Two of his sculptures will be exhibited for "Hortus Conclusus". Construction IV (2017) is shown in the museum and a new sculpture - specially made for the exhibition - I.XI.XIV (1.11.14) will be set up in the park. It consists of 3 elements that, just like his other Constructions, derive their shape from classic wooden play blocks. The 3 elements are block 1 (cube of 73 x 73 x 73 cm), block 11 (bridge of 219 x 73 x 110 cm) and block 14 (prism of 73 x 73 x 103 cm).

I.XI.XIV is made from red Griotte marble from the last active red marble quarry in Belgium. The choice for this typical but presently undervalued Belgian marble is inspired by the special geological origin and its rich architectural history.

For the exhibition "Hortus Conclusus" this work will be placed in the park alongside installations by Alain Huck and Sanderine Pelletier.

Cubicles VIII performance

Conrad will perform his eighth Cubicle performance at the "Night of Imagination" for the Ghent Festival of Flanders, at the entrance of the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent.

On the night of 4 to 5 October, the Ghent Festival hands over the keys of the Citadel site to the champions of the imagination: musicians, philosophers, visual artists, writers, video artists, performers... From sunset until the early hours they will occupy different locations with visionary sounds, installations and choreographies. Together they will create a stimulating total experience that will not leave you unmoved.

MSK Gent
Fernand Scribedreef 1, 9000 Gent
The performance will take place from 9pm till midnight.

Photography by Thijs De Lange and Pascal Van Wambeke

Open studio

This Sunday, Conrad welcomes you to his new studio at the former Lindenlei school in Ghent. After having spent nearly three years at his studio in the old veterinary school, the time had come to move to a larger space. The new space is located on the ground floor, with amazing light and a small garden. 

Conrad will be showing three of his Variations series and his latest Construction VI, together with a selection of photos and drawings from the last couple of years. Allayment II will be shown for the first time.

In the same building, 30 other artist will open up their studio and welcome you into their sanctuaries. You are cordially invited for drink, a chat and lots of art!

Lindenlei Open Studios
Sunday 22 September 11am to 6pm. Lindenlei 38 Ghent. 

 

Mirabilia / Matera - Italy

The stories of 55 cities told by models of architecture, sculpture and design are on display at the exhibition MIRABILIA - Interpretations of Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, in the third and fourth exhibition of the curatorial project Antilia Gallery.

Conrad was invited along Italian and other international contributors to re-interpret the cities narrated in the work of Calvino. These cities described by Marco Polo to the emperor Kublai Kan are suspended between the real and the imaginary. Conrad has shown a new Variation inspired by the city of Isaura, described on page 20 in Calvino’s book.

Mirabilia has been on show from 1 to 15 December at Torrione Angioino
and will be from 4 to 15 August in Matera (European Capital of Culture 2019), Casa Cava

In Various Pieces / Arrière-pensée

In artist space and gallery Arrière-pensée, Conrad is showing some of his more investigative and preparatory work. Some of this work results in larger constructions, other works remain stand-alone pieces such as drawings and compositions. Like a dancer performing a choreography, Conrad works with wooden playing blocks, pencil or concrete.

Conrad will use the Arrière-pensée sanctuary as a temporary open studio to experiment with photography: an old passion that was at the basis of his love for the blocks. He’s showing photographic works and invites visitors to capture their own constructions.

The exhibition is open Thursday (2-7 pm), Friday (2-9 pm) and Saturday (2-7 pm) from June 14 to June 28.

Photography by Cedric Verhelst and Conrad Willems

Production of Construction VI

Last week we’ve photographed part of the production process of the blocks for Construction VI. Here at Potier Stone they have been cutting large pieces of marble with great prescision and lots of patience. 

I’ve been given the opportunity to work with this magnificent Calacatta Oro marble due to a slab that broke during a previous transport. In the ongoing partnership with Potier Stone they generously offered me the chance to use these ‘leftovers’ and recuperate them into an artwork. The polishing and finer finishes were done by myself in the ateliers of Potier Stone a couple of weeks later.

Go to Construction VI to see how the result looks like.

Photography by Cedric Verhelst

ART-TECTUUR

This exhibition is built around the theme of art with architectural influences. The artists brought together clearly emphasize the overlap between both. Architecture in this show is perceived as spacial art. Just like an artist models with mass, an architect composes with space. This intriguing and inspiring interaction is reflected troughout the individual works of all four artists.

Participating artists are Nel Bonte, Frank Van Hiel, Roeland Tweelinckx and Conrad Willems. 

This show is taking place at CWART, Knokke from 30th of March till 12th of June 2019

CWART aims to create new opportunities for emerging artists who have not yet found a place within the existing scene. CWART presents exhibitions of recent creations, grouped by theme and at a pace of four projects per year.

Every work of art is part of the chain that links both history and tradition to contemporary technological and philosophical possibilities. The beautiful exhibition areas create a stunning stage for various disciplines

The following works by Conrad were shown: Construction IV, Construction V, Construction VI, Variation I, Variation V(II), Allayment, Composition II, Composition III, Cubicles VI, Column (Materials) and ‘Without title’ No.55.

Photography by Cedric Verhelst

Opera scenography - Macbeth

BANKET, The Revenge on the Macbeths

Conrad’s first scenography is scheduled to be performed 12 times in the Ghent and Antwerp Opera houses starting with it’s premiere in Ghent on the 8th of March.

The photo gallery above shows the production behind the scenes, for more info and pictures of the actual opera: www.conradwillems.be/operascenography

Conrad has been given carte blanche by Opera Flanders to design this set. In close cooperation with director Tom Goossens a grand stage design based on the Construction series was developed. 

Journalists Laura Drouet and Olivier Lacrouts discovered the work of Conrad during the 26th edition of the Biennale Interieur in Kortrijk (October 2018). They visited Ghent and spent an afternoon with Conrad to see more of his work and his studio and attended the opera. The visit resulted in a longer interview for Domus, a Magazine for Architecture, Design and Art Lovers. You can read the complete article via this link.

Photography by Cedric Verhelst. 

Arcades exhibition / Base-Alpha gallery

Arcades is Conrad's and Base-Alpha's first exhibition of 2019. A group show curated by Bart Vanderbiesen, combining work by Conrad Willems, Laurens Legiers & Hélène Meyer.

For this exhibition, Base-Alpha brings together two painters and a sculptor, connected through architecture and play. Conrad’s Construction IV and a new Variation V (II) consisting of 86 Brazilian granite blocks from Construction V will be shown against the backdrop of large-scale colourfull paintings. A short walk from the Central Station, Base-Alpha has carved a name for itself as a space for forward-thinking and subversive art.

Arcades opens 24/01, 19h, at Base-Alpha Antwerp.
On show from 24/01 to 9/03/2019, from Thursdays to Saturdays from 14h-18h.

Biennale Interieur Kortrijk 2018

Conrad has been invited by Biennale Interieur Kortrijk to make a new work as one of their Landmark pieces. The result, Construction V, will premier at the Biennale. It is a new addition to the Construction series, made from 812 orange granite building blocks accompanied by a construction drawing on paper. 
 
As part of the Landmarks, Conrad will also be showing Construction IIIII and IV. On top of that, stone company Van Den Weghe will be showing Construction I in their booth. This is the first time all Constructions will be shown in one exhibition.  
 
Biennale Interieur Kortrijk 2018: from 18 to 22 October in Kortrijk Xpo. 

Modular Sculptures Solo Exhibition

Modular sculptures.png

ATELIER JESPERS
Opening weekend

25 May from 12-22h
26 & 27 May from 12-18h

Modular Sculptures is a solo exhibition of sculptural work by Conrad Willems dealing with modularity. The works consist of components that can be separated and recombined, built up and broken down - exploring building materials and the language of construction. 

From 28/05 until 15/07
by appointment, please call +32 475 64 95 81