Belgian artists Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen joined forces in 2011, becoming simply known as Muller Van Severen, and ever since, the prolific duo has successfully carved a niche for themselves with an expanding body of work which continually explores the boundaries between sculpture and functional object. Currently on at Tim Van Laer Gallery in Antwerp is Muller Van Severen‘s solo exhibition entitled Frames. Although several works are presented, the show is intended as a single installation. or more specific, an all-encompassing universe of form, colour, light, reflection and transparency. More than 30 works are brought together in the gallery in which the duo searches for the most essential sculptural impact through minimal intervention. The constellation of works is a play on the spatial dimensions of the venue in itself, challenging not only its boundaries, but also the perception of the viewer.
Muller Van Severen draw inspiration from various architectural forms, and even though functionality is still a defining factor in each individual object, what stands out first and foremost is the celebration of the possibilities of pure geometric forms in this total installation. In doing so, Muller Van Severen remind the viewer of the bold visual vocabulary of geometric forms in different colours introduced by the Suprematists. Mind you, the works Frame #17 and Frame #20 can even be seen as a clear reference to Kazimir Malevich‘s installation for The Last Futurist Exhibition of Paintings 0,10 held in 1915 in St. Petersburg. Inspired by artist Franz West‘s groundbreaking principles, which emphasise the participatory value of a work of art, the duo encourages viewers to use and inhabit their sculptures (on through Nov 23). © superfuture
Tim Van Laere Gallery
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2000 Antwerp
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Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
