M HKA Ensembles

Other, 122 x 92 cm.

Collection: Carla Arocha & Stéphane Schraenen.

Carla Arocha (°1961, Caracas, Venezuela) lives and works in Antwerp. Since 2005 she forms an artistic duo with Antwerp artist Stéphane Schraenen (°1971). Their abstract sculptures start from everyday objects that are stripped of their individuality and functionality, and reduced to their basic essence and form. Placing the objects and the environment in a spatial context creates an abstract interaction between them, in which light and reaction play an important role. Arocha and Schraenen's constructions are an artistic investigation within and into the rich tradition of abstract art. Their work exists at a time of confluence of material and ideal reality, and of static and mobile environment. From there, a synthesis arises in which both the architecture of the space and the movement of the viewer are involved.

With these works, Arocha & Schraenen use photography, glass and mirror, directly referring to the modernist monochrome, the most Spartan art form of last century. The sparse gesture of a single colour becomes layered and burdened by the reflective quality of glass which prevents at all times the experience of the single plane of colour depicted. In addition a ‘peep hole’ is depicted, where the viewer is seduced to look through to find nothing more but the reflection of their own eye, given the fact that behind the printed glass, there is a layer of clear glass mirror. With much of their work, Arocha & Schraenen challenge the notion of the ‘know’ by posing questions, rather than forcing conclusions. Here the three peeps are arranged in the space so that they reflect the other works and thus function as an embrace to the other participating artists. It makes Carla and Stéphane the perfect allies for this project.

http://www.arocha-schraenen.com/