STIJN COLE
°1978, Ghent, BE
Lives and works in Ghent, Belgium
Represented by Irene Laub Gallery, Brussels (BE)
Light, time, scale, horizon and eye level view point are central elements in Stijn Cole’s oeuvre, which are impossible to categorise under one heading. Through his paintings, videos, sculptures and photographs, he repeatedly seeks to distil the very essence within by using a variety of processes (the work process and its evolution are invariably a consistent theme).
In this exhibition, he shows his recent ‘Souvenir’ works: each of the series is related to a specific period and place, which contributes to their documentary character.
The relationship between his work and the surroundings is a consistent feature of his oeuvre. His 1:1 drawings depict old gnarled willows and are accompanied by a round ceramic disc placed on the ground. They serve as a portal into reality in the way they have been created: the artist has taken a photograph through a frame at a distance of 225 cm and then sketched the image using the same scale as that of the frame.
In a forest near an exhausted quarry, Stijn Cole found a boulder of ‘Marbre de Rance’, and had a section cut off and polished to reveal the marble patterns.
These reworked sections were mounted on the wall with the polished surface positioned horizontally at eye level. In this way, a horizon was created. The drawing is kept hidden. The simple act of reworking transforms the marble boulders into sculptures and
creates an intriguing field of tension between the rough and the polished material.
His ‘fold’ work came about on a vast stretch of meadow not far from the town of Chimay and was inspired while photographing the horizon disappearing in the mist.
The prints (90 x 140 cm) were then folded in half so as to create relief on the place where the horizon would normally have meant to appear. Depending on the available light in the room, this fold creates either greater or lesser shadow above or below the fold, which in turn creates a new horizon.
There are also a number of bronze reliefs on display in the outside garden. They are replicas of pieces of rocky coastline cut in a straight plane by the artist, whereby all sense of scale disappears and the resulting work can only exist as an ‘art within itself’.
Inge Braeckman, 03/2021
stijncole.be
Solo- Duo exhibitions (selection)
2019
Shore > january - (re)D. Gallery / Antwerp
Finistère / Fisterra > february - Haus Der Kunst St Jozef / Solothurn (CH)
Variations sur les mêmes thèmes ( with Marthe Wéry) > february - BPS22 / Charleroi
Intersecties (with Greet Van Autgaerden) >Whitehousegallery / Lovenjoel
GREY BLUE BROWN > august - White Gallery / White interiors / Ostend
Variations sur les mêmes thèmes > october - Gallery Wenger / Zürich (CH)
2017
Casa Wabi residence > november - Casa Wabi / Oaxaca (Mexico)
Entre terre et mer > september - (re)D Gallery / Antwerp
1:1 / Marine > september - C-Mine / Genk
1:1 > april - Château de Chimay / Chimay
2016
60 journées d'été '76 '16 ( with Marthe Wéry) > november - Raveelmuseum / Machelen
New Dialogues > august - Gallery Wenger / Zürich (S)
Chimay Cancale > may - Galerie Van De Weghe / Antwerp
Halfway (with Laura Viale)> june - The Italian institute / Brussels
Lumière Matière > june - Royal Acadamy ARBA ESA / Brussels
2015
“October “> october - Gallery René Blouin / Montréal (Canada)
2013
IMAGES & COLORS > December - gallery Van De Weghe / Antwerp
2012
30° > september - gallery Geukens & De Vil / Knokke
Von hier bis hier > april - Kunstverein Schwerte / Schwerte (G)
2011
Docu > march - galerie Geukens & De Vil / Antwerp
2010
Sunset/Sunset - Artist in Residence > july - MSK / Ghent ( Curated by Robert,Hoozee)
Provincial Prize East Flanders > april - Caermersklooster / Ghent
2009
2 large Windows > september - Preview Art Fair / Berlin (G)
Found footage > may - Galerie Geukens & De Vil /Antwerp
2008
Stijn Cole @ Witte Zaal Extra > november - Witte Zaal /Ghent (Curated by Rolf Quaghebuer)
Stijn Cole > november - Scharpoord /Knokke (Curated by Christophe Dejaegere) `
2007
Stijn Cole - Koert Declercq > march - Galerie Kunst-zicht /Ghent (duo) (Curated by Guy Bovyn)
2006
Willy de Sauter - Stijn Cole > september - Grusemeyer galerie /Deurle (duo) Stijn Cole (vitrineproject ) > june - july - De Garage /Mechelen (Curated by Koen Leemans)
Stijn Cole > may - KunstVerein /Ahlen (Germany) (Curated by Philippe Van Cauteren)
Picture this! - Stijn Cole > april - Museum Dhondt Dhaenens /Deurle (Curated by Joost Declerq)
2005
Re-animating the city part 2 Stijn Cole /Ghent (Curated by Guy Bovyn)
Group exhibitions (selection)
2019
The gulf between > january - De Warande / Turnhout
L'heure Bleue > june - De Mijlpaal / Knokke
GENESIS > July - LAC / Narbonne (F) (curated by Christa Vyvey)
Landscape 2.0 (with Stefan Peters and Meggy Rustamova) > october - BUDA / Kortrijk
2018
De zindering van de zee > november - De Mesdagcollectie / Den Haag (N)
Hermetisch zwart > november - De Mijlpaal / Heusden Zolder
11tal > oktober - kapel van Maeghdendaele / Brugge
Works on paper > februari - (re)D. Gallery / Antwerp
Vriditas > march - De Mijlpaal / Heusden Zolder
Art Brussel > april - (re)D. Gallery / Brussels
Inspired, women in the Belfius collection - Art Brussels > Belfius / Brussels
100 year NICC > february - NICC / Antwerp
De Biënnale van de schilderkunst > july - MDD, Raveelmuseum, Museum Deinze en de Leiestreek
2017
Celibataire Diva's > july - various locations in Hasselt (curated by Lut Maris)
Vloed > october - Ten Bogaerde / Koksijde (curated by Els Wuyts)
El Camino / The way between two points > avril - Kadoc / Leuven (curated by Christa Vyvey)
The tree of life > janvier - Galerie de Mijlpaal / Heusden Zolder
2016
Colors of the sky > july - Galerie de Mijlpaal / Knokke
Etage 22 > july - Antwerp (curated by Nils Verkaeren)
Grote Prijs Ernest Albert > june - De garage / Mechelen
El Camino, the Way between two Points > june -Provinciaal hof /Bruges june / LAC Narbonne (France) (curated by Christa Vyvey)
Drawing Now > march - Galerie Wenger/ Paris (France)
YIA Brussels > march - with Galerie Van De Weghe / Brussels
Drawing Front > march Kunstvereniging Diepenheim / Diepenheim (Netherland)
2015
Art Brussels 2015 > april - gallery Van De Weghe / Brussels Aandacht aandacht > mars - De Warande / Turnhout
Drawing Now (Artist in the focus) > mars - Paris (F)
A Belgian Politician > February - Galerie Marion De Cannière / Antwerp
2014
Splash! > oktober - Amarant / Antwerp (Curated by Stef Van Bellingen)
Capita Selecta > july - Broelmuseum / Kortrijk (Curated by Monia Warnez)
2013
The Prélude Pathétique > december - University library / Leuven (Curated by Wim Lambrecht)
In Between > october - Castle of Gaasbeek / Brussels (Curated by Joris Caepenberghs)
Museum op schaal > different locations : BRAFA, Bozar, ... (curated by Ronny Van De Velde)
Festival van de politiek > november - Flemish Parlement / Brussels
Stijn Cole - Stefan Peters - Bert Jacobs > may - C-Mine / Genk (Curated by Eddie Guldolf)
Onder de loep > may - Emile Van Dorenmuseum / Genk (Curated by,Kristof Reulens)
2012
Façades > september - Be-Part /Waregem ( Curated by Patrick Ronsse / Pieter Vermeulen)
2011
Characters makes stories > september - NICC / Antwerp (Curated by Sofie Dederen / Mieke Mels)
ZT > Flanders House / New York
Tender Buttons > december - Kunst-Zicht / Ghent (Curated by Guty Bovyn)
Frans Masereel Revisited > may - City museum / Aalst(Curated by Jan Denys)
2010
Mars van Oostende > oktober / Ostend Art Amsterdam > may / Amsterdam Art Brussels > april / Brussels
2009
Summershow > july - Galerie Geukens & De Vil / Knokke
World Wide Wonders > november - Kunst-Zicht / Ghent (Curated by Guy Bovyn)
HOT art Fair Basel > june - /Basel
Art Brussels > april - /Brussels
2007
Kunstwerkstation > september 2007 > july 2008 /Kortrijk, Knokke, Mid- delkerke, Bruges, ...
Kunst & Zwalm 2007 > august - september (Curated by Netwerk)
Sur La Route / Een tour van Kunstenaars > june - july - S.M.A.K /Ghent (Curated by Frank Maes)
Het deel. > march - ACEC hal 24 /Ghent
2006
Trends 2006 > february - Sint Barbaracollege /Ghent
2005
Versus III > september /Oudenaarde ( Curated by Tanguy Eeckhout) Artificial landscape (betoverd bos) > september /Aalter (Curated by Angelique Campens)
Basics 2 > CROHAPOX /Ghent
Entertain Us > Salons voor schone kunsten /Sint-Niklaas (Curated by Tanguy Eeckhout)
Wat is hedendaagse beeldhouwkunst? > Sint-Lucas /Ghent
2004
Rush > Kapel van Maegdendaele /Oudenaarde (Curated by Angelique Campens)
2003
Stijn Cole/Hannes Vanseveren/Fien Muller 3 > CC /Strombeek (Curated by Luk Lambrecht)
Young Artists > Witte Zaal /Ghent (Curated by Luk Lambrecht)
2002
