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).

Walter Swennen

Back

(c)image: M HKA

Zij die hier zijn zijn van hier, 2007

Walter Swennen

Print , 56 x 76 cm

Zeefrduk

The Brussels-based artist Walter Swennen is active as poet and painter, and his work often places to the fore this mutual exchange between word and image. Swennen paints or draws with playful irony, with a particular talent for visual associations. He calls himself an impaired painter, and further contends that he uses this 'impairment' in order to paint.

The piece Zij die hier zijn zijn van hier [Those who are here are from here], may be seen as a written painting or as a painted text. This ambiguity is pursued in the text itself. What at first sight seems like a clear, slogan-like message, becomes - after several readings - much less unequivocal. Who exactly are the 'Those'? And what is meant by 'here'? Without context, is seems near impossible to discover its true meaning.

Back