Hans Theys is a twentieth-century philosopher and art historian. He has written and designed dozens of books on the works of contemporary artists and published hundreds of essays, interviews and reviews in books, catalogues and magazines. All his publications are based on actual collaborations and conversations with artists.

This platform was developed by Evi Bert (M HKA / Centrum Kunstarchieven Vlaanderen) in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp (Research group Archivolt), M HKA, Antwerp and Koen Van der Auwera. We also thank Idris Sevenans (HOR) and Marc Ruyters (Hart Magazine).

Ann Veronica Janssens

© SABAM Belgium, 2024, Christine Clinckx / M HKA / Studio Ann Veronica Janssens
Magic Mirrors, 2019
Sculpture , 220 x 110 x 1.2 cm

Magic Mirrors (Pink & Blue) is a diptych of panels, each consisting of three layers of glass. The central pane of each sculpture is broken into a myriad of pieces. Sandwiched between the two intact panes, it is firmly preserved in its fragile state, but when light hits the surface, each cracked joint reflects it at different angles, creating different shapes and colours. This change in colour is due to a dichroic polyester sheet that filters out precise wavelengths of light, limiting the range of visible colours. The light reflecting off the fragments of coloured glass as they pass through them creates a cascade of light, a myriad of iridescent coloured reflections that change according to the movements of the observer and to the light reflected on the sculptures. I use the properties of light, refraction, and reflection to explore different perspectives on colour. The instability and mutability of Magic Mirrors (Pink & Blue) questions the nature of art: a material articulation or the experiencing of its interaction with the world and oneself.’

 

Ann Veronica Janssens, 2023