Maarten Vanden Abeele

On all his journeys, Maarten Vanden Abeele collects visual material. His photos are the result of an accidental encounter. Preferably he works with images that are related to reality, because he’s fond of their straightforwardness. The artist likes to refer to them as “frozen” images; the materialization of memories.

He doesn’t necessarily reflects on the images that he wants to make, but rather on how these images get their place in a certain context. Certain images linger on, and for Vanden Abeele, these are the ones that represent the essence. It’s the selection of these images and the compilation of “ensembles” that are crucial to him. In his ensembles you can’t find a narrative or rectilinear story. Based on different criteria – form or content related, rhythm, light intensity, …  – he places the images next to eachother.
The works in Vanden Abeel’s ensembles are very varied. Each work has a different size. There are colour and black & white images, misty detailshots and sharp images, stand-alone images and images that return multiple times. His subjects are also very varied: landscapes, still lifes, cityscapes, people that are in the middle of daily routine. Where he makes the images doesn’t matter. They are straight forward and not embellished.  They represent the unusual look of the artist, conducted in a well thought of frame. As a spectator you get a glimpse of how Vanden Abeele looks at the world.He’s also known for his work with Pina Bausch, Needcompany & more.