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: Courtesy Deweer Art Gallery, Otegem

Bing of the Ferro Lusto (model), 2002

Panamarenko

Object , 160 x 130 cm

original model in epoxy, resin, electric motor, presented on a metal base

After the General Spinaxis of 1968, Panamarenko's interest in flying saucers and their propulsion systems progressively increases. The following years saw not only the construction of new spacecraft, he would also research into the various possibilities of using existing magnetic fields as cosmic highways by which his flying saucers might traverse the solar system. For this space project - that ever since the 1970s he'd been expanding and improving upon - he hit on the umbrella title of Journey to the Stars. Influenced by UFO-logy and a range of Sci-Fi films, he succeedingly designed the spacecrafts Worp I, Adamski Schotel and Flying Cigar called Flying Tiger.

In 1997 his fascination for the cosmos resulted in the final project Ferro Lusto that he describes as a spaceship of 800 meters in length and fit for a crew of 4000.

Panamarenko sees the Ferro Lusto as the mother ship that would carry various smaller craft, that he calls Bings. His flying saucer Bing of the Ferro Lusto can also be seen as a component of a much larger whole, which can navigate between the planets and from the mother spaceship. From a 1990 drawing, it appears that the motor employed by Panamarenko to drive these craft was originally christened the Quadrac Motor. This motor consists of two pairs of cylinders arranged parallel in a metal block. The word 'quadrac' indicated that the motor disposes of four pistons, in turn producing an upwards and sidewards motion.

For the name Ferro Lusto, Panamarenko was once again inspired by the 1947 Orson Welles film The Lady from Shanghai. As he says: At a certain point you hear a commercial on the radio: 'Brillo Lusto, this is your hair, this is your man!' And I thought to myself: That doesn't sound bad, but I'll make it 'Ferro' Lusto. Because 'ferro' means iron, and Ferro Lusto sounds like a good name for a flying saucer.

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