Forêts (luxuriants affolements) is an exhibition of the work of 18 young artists, connected by the theme of the forest. All the artists featured have a strong connection to Brussels, either as a place of origin, study or work. The exhibition is being organised by Aurélia Deschamps and Aurore Vegas, two French illustrators who moved to Brussels 10 years ago to study and have lived and worked in the city since. The exhibition, opening on the 18th of February in Saint-Gilles’s Maison des Cultures, will showcase over 250 original works, ranging from illustration and photography to installation and performance.
Choosing the forest as the connecting theme was an easy decision for them. “Nature, vegetation and greenery are very important for our work,” says Aurore Vegas. “It’s such an infinite theme, and you can do so much with the forest.” The works on display will deal with different aspects of the forest and our connection to it. Among other works, there will be a photo reportage on hunting by Alice Kohl, a performance and installation by Kelzang Ravach based on Tibetan legends of elemental creatures called Nagas, and a monotype series by Zoé Jusseret about a school trip into the nature that takes an unsettling turn.
As well as the theme of the forest, the organisers have put a big focus on working collectively to achieve something on a very ambitious scale. “I definitely think that we’re stronger together,” says Aurélia Deschamps. “This is first exhibition we’ve organised, and it’s very, very big for a debut.”
Forêts (luxuriants affolements) opens at 18:00 on the 18th of February, with a performance on the opening and closing nights. The exhibition runs until the 6th of March in Maison des Cultures de Saint-Gilles, 120 Rue de Belgrade.
More information and some of the artist’s works at: luxuriantsaffolements.tumblr.com
John Hyland
The Brussels Times
