Tique | art space opens the new season with a duo exhibition by Marius Lut (NL) and Benny Van den Meulengracht-Vrancx (BE).

Marius Lut

Marius Lut researches the perception of the viewer to his work. Not only using canvas, he also uses everyday objects such as Nike socks and wind jackets to question what is observed.

Visual stimulation in the brain is analysed and processed upon the immediate perception of an object. By using ones creativity one is able to find variations in shape, size, colour and movement. Later perception is a more aware process that is driven by attention and memory. Lut challenges these first and secondary processes of viewing and perception and uses their functionality.

Minimalism functions as a basis for the works, and acts as a re-interpretation of their direct environment, the presentation space. This challenges the viewer to comprehend in a new way with limited tools.

In recent years a different type of work has developed, the ‘reversed abstractions’. In these works Lut uses everyday objects that undermine their own functionality and definition. With this, he pushes the viewer to let go of primary interpretations and experience them as the autonomous shape they represent. The more fluid the shape (for example the windjacket or mirror/reflection) the more volatile the composition. The works conduct a dialogue with themselves and questions their own form. First and foremost to be autonomous, simple and unprejudiced. Later to move the viewer to really look and re-interpret.

In other works Lut uses mainly spray paint to cover the canvas, playing with the canvas as an autonomous shape. He questions its borders while playing with the direct architecture of placement. The viewer is challenged to accurately identify simple forms like painted geometric shapes, as well as more complex movements such as texture, reflection and light.

Benny Van den Meulengracht-Vrancx

Benny Van den Meulengracht-Vrancx’s work usually revolves around who he is and who he tries to be. About who other people are and how we perceive each other. About how you and I relate to each other, what we do in order to keep up appearances and the feelings that are generated as a result. It often ends up in two opposites, either it’s “looking”, the eyes, confrontation(!) or hiding, masking, armouring up.

He tries to visualise these things in drawings, sculpture, paintings, and so on, choosing to work with specific types of visual elements, bringing with them specific associations, but in the end he strongly feels that it’s always about dealing with things, the world around you and especially about dealing with yourself.

In his duo exhibition with Marius Lut, Van den Meulengracht-Vrancx shows several of his Black Knight sculptures. These are the culmination of the idea of armouring up and can be seen as the icon for the mystification of the artist persona and personalities of people in general.