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)photo: R. Van Den Bremt, Courtesy Anny De Decker, Antwerp

Zwitserse fiets [Swiss Bicycle], 1967

Panamarenko

Object , 61.5 x 60 x 66 cm

tin, cardboard, linen

In the second half of the 1960s, Panamarenko built a series of poetic objects, often inspired by memories of his youth. Because the emphasis in these works is on their formal qualities and not yet on function or technology, they are referred to as ‘silent objects’. In 1965 Panamarenko comes across, in an American scientific magazine, the picture of a mountain bike with a strikingly small front wheel. After a sojourn to Switzerland, the artist decides to imitate the bicycle as object. In Zwitserse fiets the fascination for technology comes to the fore.

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