The exhibition “De opwarming” is the culmination of a research project by five painting instructors at the Antwerp Academy (Bruno Van Dijck, Tina Gillen, Ellen De Meutter, Pat Harris, Tine Colen) and art critic Jeroen Laureyns. Over two years ago, they, along with several painting students, began reading Naomi Klein’s book No Time and explored the connection between their approach to depicting landscapes today and the broader issue of climate change. Through the collective reading of Klein’s book, a strong bond developed between the instructors and students, along with an awareness of their responsibility to take a stance in their own work. In addition to the members of this research group, external artists were also invited to participate in the exhibition.
Tine Colen
De Opwarming
2017
Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
Jeroen Laureyns, Pat Harris, Tina Gillen, Ellen de Meutter, Tine Colen, Bruno Van Dijck, Frank Agsteribbe, Leo Copers, Brecht Koelman, Anne Ausloos, Willem Boel, Gideon Kiefer, Bert Danckaert, Geert Goiris, Viktoria Parvanova, Nils Verkaeren, Priscilla Gila, Dawid Wojtalewicz, Jens Milonton, Greg van Staey
Works
About
After her training in the medium of painting, Tine Colen (1985) felt the need not to simply represent or imitate the world, but to be in the midst of things. Gradually, the following elements became characteristic of her work: The blurring of boundaries between art and functional objects by creating items that carry meaning and can sometimes be used / working with natural materials in a cyclical process, often defined by their temporary, seasonal nature, as well as human-made materials considered waste / seeking specific knowledge about plant usage through the study of ethnobotany and anthropology / a slow and labor-intensive making process, rooted in collective creation / generating value through the way objects are used, gifted, and passed on / using public space as a workshop, where the physical work sparks conversation, encounters, and change.