A performance by Isabel Fredeus
From the 2nd of September to the 2nd of October 2021
Video-exhibition
45:25min
DeSingel, Antwerp (BE)
The video exhibition ‘A Subjective Reality’ will guide you through four performances that took place at DeSingel Antwerp (BE) in February 2021. All performances are presented in realtime and each shot in one take:
‘Acid trip’ (2021)
The time-based installation “Acid Trip” is nothing more nor less than a chemical reaction where seashells (some are souvenirs with sentimental value) are dissolving in acid. The shells disappear within hours, losing their brown outer skin first, followed by defragmentation revealing inner structures and in some cases the fundamental swirling backbone that defines the outer form. Finally, the compromised shells are reduced to muddy waters. The work represents an accelerated chemical process of the sad reality in ocean waters all over the world. Acidification of the oceans is an ongoing chemical process caused by pollution and climate change. It prevents sea life from creating qualitative exoskeletons which makes survival tougher. Due to the energy lost by the extra effort needed for producing a shell in water where the acidity level is disrupted, less energy can go into reproduction, which creates a drop in future populations.
‘To set the course’ (2021)(2015)
Inspired by the video work ‘La Pluie (Projet pour un text), 1969’ by Marcel Duchamps, The performance ‘To set the course’ explores the concept of painting as a process and in relation to the concepts of change, growth and decay. When an image is not dried up, it’s still going places, growing, reacting and free from the categorization of style and intent.
‘Are you coming or going? – An analogue puppetry of light behaviour.’ (2021)
Light travels and gets refracted while moving from one medium through the other. Playing around and experimentation led to the work ‘Are you coming or going? – An analogue puppetry of light behaviour’. A performance with light as the main character, performing a choreography of movements.
‘Pair production’ (2021)
The work “Pair production” brings together the natural effect of mirroring by light reflected on a fluent water surface and the mirror effect created by vast objects. The performance documents the build-up of creating an image that projects a dialogue between these objects and the water surface. The surface gets disrupted by dripping elements and movements of my feet and hands while moving through the surface. The reflection of the objects constantly loses their bodily outer line, setting their borders in motion by different causes of vibration.
Location: DeSingel Antwerpen
Technical Art Director: Olivier De Groelard
Camera/edit: Nick De Vucht
Technical Assistance: Benjamin Timmermans, Ilvana Dizdarevic, Jeroen Goossens, Alek Lewandowski, Dean Peeraer, Ilias Johri, Robbe Hollanders, Emiel Hernalsteen, Ines Maes, Wout Vatteroth, Benjamin Eugene, Sam Verlinden, Megan Rietvelt.
Isabel Fredeus
Isabel Fredeus (°1991) is an Antwerp-based artist. She works with installations, sculptures, videos and interventions. Fredeus is mainly interested in materials that are elastic, manipulative and flexible.
Within her artistic practice, she tries to follow signs, investigate the origin of their attraction and search for alternative meanings within them. For these reasons, Fredeus works process-oriented. She started off as a painter and still thinks like one. In her practice, she is mainly occupied with natural processes, physical laws and the symbolism they create. She considers her atelier as a place to explore various methodologies where irony goes hand in hand with spirituality and scientific approaches are confronted with poetic layers.
She obtained a Master in Fine Arts and a Master of Research in Art & Design at St Lucas School of Arts in Antwerp. Her work was shown at Intershop, Leipzig (DE), Extra City Kunsthal (BE), Middelheim Museum (BE), M KHA (BE). In 2015, she was a resident at Villa Ruffieux residence, Sierre (CH). She won the De Lucas award 2015, awarded by Sint Lucas University College, Antwerp (BE). In 2018 she won the Middelheim Museum Young Artist Prize awarded by the Middelheim Promotors, Antwerp (BE). She also won the prize of the public with her sculpture ‘Under The Weather’