Hans Theys

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).

Panamarenko

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(c)image: LUKAS ART IN FLANDERS VZW, 2009

Prova Car, 1967

Panamarenko

Object , 95 x 200 x 290 cm

tin, cellophane

Prova-Car is a sort of human, poetic version of the Formula-1 racing car. It conjures up images of old, once revolutionary technological prototypes. With works like this Prova-Car, Panamarenko refers to the image of the engineer-artist. At the same time, he relativises the image. Of course, Panamarenko’s ‘inventions’ are not intended to actually work: they are artworks first and foremost. In Panamarenko’s work, technique is a slave to poetry.

"Nuvolari was the best racecar driver in the world before the war. He just floored it, never braked. I remember how he wore a kind of pilot's headgear seated in his big 'prova', his test car. (...) After WWII the Formula 1 cars got too fast, and then he indeed had to brake." - Panamarenko

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