KOEN DELAERE
IN CURVED AIR
MAY 23 – JULY 4, 2015

For the third exhibtion in 2015 at VAN HORN we are delighted to present Koen Delaere’s new paintings for the first time. The artist belongs to a younger generation of conceptually working painters, who are researching and extending painting, to add something that goes beyond traditional painterly methods. Delaeres works are the result of a physical and energetic interaction with the material.
In Delaere’s Oeuvre the act of painting is central – the dynamic process, which is subject to the artist’s conscious as well as unconscious contemplation and selection – which can ltake months. For him painting is not about aesthetic perfection or completion, he rather aims to involve the viewer into his dynamic work process. The layers of paint and the gestural way in which it is is applied are the subject matter of Delaere’s compelling paintings. The performative character of Delaere’s works can be compared to experiencing a live music performance or to making music in which a meaning evolves while actively listening. A spontaneity that is reflected throughout a concert. There is a randomness, an improvisation and a controlled chaos. We find traces of this elements in his pantings, which are created in the rythm the music (which constantly plays in his studio) determines. His works live on an extension of the present. Delaere uses the color matter to create a physical surface. Geometrical scars and form alterations stemming from frictional force between surfaces that move to precise coordinates. There is always a specific interactive and energetic aspect.

KOEN DELAERE | GALLERY EXHIBITIONS