I love listening. It is one of the only spaces where you can be still and moved at the same time. — Nayyirah Waheed — Tuesday April 28th — —

“What art does — maybe what it does most completely — is tell us, make us feel that what we think we know, we don’t. There are whole worlds around us that we’ve never glimpsed.” Greil Marcus — Tuesday April 28th — —

The idea is to die young as late as possible. — Ashley Montagu — Tuesday April 28th — —

Tempo Polveroso

After writing about Virginie Khateeb’s visit to the marble quarries of Carrara and sharing the incredible ‘Il Capo’ documentary that was shot in the area, we found a new inspirational artist – Belgian photographer Frederik Vercruysse – who has explored that fascinating place on earth and returned with some impressive work named ‘Temo Polveroso’ or ‘Pulverised Time’. The project which Vercruysse initially had in mind when embarking on his residency at Villa Lena was a new series of still lifes, but he soon felt compelled to capture his inspirational surroundings in images rather than remain within the four walls of his studio. His photographs of the marble quarries reveal a similar dynamic as Khateeb’s images – showing a mixture of an utmost raw beauty and solitary melancholy, which could be seen as a metaphor for the embodiment of the area: the creation of beauty at the expense of nature. Without any human beings in the frames, it is impossible to fathom the larger-than-life scale of this totally unique form of landscape exploitation/architecture. The series of 16 stunning images over which a cloud of mysterious, powdery mist appears to be suspended, will be on display at the inspirational gallery/store Graanmarkt 13 in Antwerpen until Saturday 30 May.

Vercruysse retained this approach in his photographs of the surrounding countryside. The tangle of plants resembles the scribbling of a ballpoint pen, the condensation on the window pane transforms the sunset into an abstraction, while the hail creates an illusion resembling that of a pointillist painting. With this layered approach, reality is detached from its context, creating a poetic image.

Frederik Vercruysse is an Antwerp-based photographer. No matter the subject, Frederik’s signature style is very recognizable. He describes his work as still life photography in the broadest sense of the word. His aim is to photograph the subject in its purest form, sometimes realistic, often minimalistic. Distinguishing features of his work are fresh, graphic images bathed in a soft light. Vercruysse has an eye for detail and a well-defined sense of aesthetics. He is an expert in creating compositions, regardless of whether he is photographing architecture, an interior or a still life. Frederik has worked for numerous magazines including Wallpaper, Architectural Digest Germany, A Magazine, Dwell, Case Da Abitare and Elle Decoration and can count brands such as Airbnb, Eastpak, Muller Van Severen, villa eugénie, Raf Simons, Samsonite, IKEA and many museums and architects among his clients. He is represented by Initials LA.

Graanmarkt 13 is a highly inspirational venue where art, fashion, design, lifestyle and food converge. The cellar houses the renowned ‘Graanmarkt 13’ restaurant run by chef Seppe Nobels, while the ground floor is dedicated to the stylish high-end fashion and remarkable designer objects offered by the Graanmarkt 13 Store. The gallery on the floor above regularly features exhibitions of new works by young fashion designers and interesting Belgian and international artists. The top floor contains ‘The Apartment’, luxury accommodation in the heart of Antwerp. Designed by Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen, the building itself is a veritable architectural pearl.

Tempo Polveroso by Frederik Vercruysse runs from Friday, 24 April to Saturday 30 May at Graanmarkt 13, Antwerp. The gallery is open from Monday to Saturday from 10.30am to 6.30pm.

The artist’s work – five editions per work of art – and an exhibition booklet with a limited edition of 100 copies will be sold during the exhibition.

For more information see here.