29.06—06.10.2024
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Happily Ever After, 2015

Rachel Valdés, CU
Mirror plates, steel, polycarbonate 300 x 1600 x 100 cm
Her work is always preceded by a research process that is linked to personal experiences. She is interested in creating scenarios that transport the viewer to another version of reality, where perspective becomes incomprehensible and light, colour and reflections take over the space. These scenes created by her installations are like a new landscape within the environment. A sense of parallelism emerges, like a mystical space that invites the viewer into a constant dialogue between the object, the being and the environment. The mirror at the water's edge refers to existential questions, such as the lines that demarcate our existence. Where the physical ends and the ideal begins, this work reflects on the dichotomy that encompasses us all. After paradise comes the era of awakening and criticism, and of hope and confidence in one's own abilities. Seeing yourself reflected in the environment can help. The artist uses reflection to make the viewer a leading interlocutor, who is even part of the artwork. Reflection calls for reflection on the past and present. It is like a materialisation of time. The artist refers to the dilemma between the different realities that make up human life: the mental and the physical, the objective and the subjective. 'Happy ever after' seeks to evoke reflection, encounters and experiences by creating environments that encourage interaction and connection. The priority is to contribute to a legacy of spaces that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also inspire the viewer, offering a state of self-recognition and presence.

23 artists present inspiring work at unique locations at historical sites in Kortrijk

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