Kristof Vrancken
The Sustainist Gaze
With The Sustainist Gaze, Z33 presents the first major retrospective exhibition of photographer Kristof Vrancken (BE, °1982). In his work ecology, activism and photography come together.
Photography with berries and plants
The artist advocates a more sustainable relationship with nature. Vrancken consciously opts for natural materials and avoids the use of polluting chemical products in analogue photography. He experiments with emulsions of algae, berries and knotweed, and uses sunlight to develop his photos. This slow, traditional way of working is a reaction against today’s flash culture and the fleetingness of images. By making prints using plants, nature is not only present on the image, but also literally in the image. Vrancken transcends classical photography and interweaves his practice with other disciplines such as design, new media and science.
“I am an activist. I don’t climb the barricades but take action through my artistic practice.”
The Sustainist Gaze
Kristof Vrancken is part of an ecological and climate conscious movement in the arts. How can you be active and constructive as an artist instead of merely critical and documentary? How do you not only show an alternative view, but also turn it into a concrete action? Can an artistic view lead to a new way of looking at nature and the relationship with mankind? These questions are central to his artistic practice.
Curator: Ils Huygens
With contributions from: Niek Kosten, Frederik De Bleser, Lieven Menschaert, Giacomo Piovan, Jenny Stieglitz, MFPF & X-LAB (UHasselt)
With thanks to: LUCA School of Arts, UHasselt, FWO, Milo Profi, VONK_ateliers
