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ottobre 17, 2016 - Musee d'ixelles

Johan Van Mullem touches on the essence of painting a portrait in his new exibiton

Comunicato Stampa disponibile solo in lingua originale. 

For this exhibition, #johanvanmullem proposes a series of portraits, which remain one of the essential themes of his work. The presentation is considered experimental, using a particular plan with a desire to escape any retrospective or classic form. Confronting the paintings is all about the experience.
Johan Van Mullem touches on the essence of painting a portrait. He never paints the surface of a face but summons its interior. He puts forward the question of incarnation by giving a physical and sensitive existence to an abstract dimension. The characters represent no one in particular, but arise from the material itself and acquire a universal and archetypal status.
In the first section of the room hang three large format paintings, one of which belongs to the museum’s collection. The viewer is then invited to move towards the back of the room where 84 smaller sized paintings are presented horizontally, levitating from the floor. The paintings occupy the space and prevent any movement. The artist provokes a forced distancing from the viewer in relation to the works. As such, he voluntarily blurs the visibility of some of them. By undermining the ability to view comfortably, the artist invites the viewer to become a player in a visual game travelling through the ensemble in order to try to comprehend the relationships and attempt a mental picture of the works of which there is no access.
These paintings are a development from their own substance. The figure is actually formed by the material and inflections of a brush seeking a sense of permanence. The face appears to be constructed independently, by addition and subtraction, to inhabit. The joy of the subject matter is evident and one can share in the impulsive gesture and magical vision experienced by the artist.

JOHAN VAN MULLEM
27.10.2016 > 22.01.2017
Free Opening Night to the General Public: Wednesday 25.10.2016 – 18:30 > 21:00
Opening of the doors at 18:30.