Agenda 2023 > >

[Brugge Damme] in situ group show • Damme Belgium 2023.

Curator: Annelies Ysebaert [Gallery Ysebaert].

Artists: Stijn Cole, Willem Boel, Stief Desmet, Arne Quinze, Wim Delvoye, Hans Temmerman, Kris Martin, Nick Ervinck, Jan De Cock, Jan Fabre, Nadia Naveau, Katleen Vinck, Stefaan Van Biesen, Koen Vanmechelen, Athar Jaber, Caroline Coolen, Ronald A. Westerhuis [NL], Joep Van Lieshout [NL].

[Swarmer • Zwermer] installatie Damme 2023.

[Groupshow] Gallery Ysebaert, Maenhoutstraat 60, 9830 Sint-Martens-Latem Belgium 2023.

Artists: Yaacov Agam, Wim Delvoye, Nick Ervinck, Keith Haring, Danny Matthys, Sylvain Patte, Arne Quinze, Stefaan van Biesen, Ronald A. Westerhuis.

[Omzwervingen/Wanderings] the Dürer Connection. 100 Drawings: ink on Steinbach paper 2022-2023.

Wanderings? Because my artistic work has evolved so multidisciplinary, I have an extensively documented personal archive. It seemed particularly interesting to connect in a current way with the vision and work (in this case graphics) of Albrecht Dürer. Not only in terms of technique (pen on paper), his humanism, but also as a tribute to his 'modernity', which is still a source of inspiration.

Drawings. The ensemble of these drawings are introspective/retrospective. It includes themes and studies that have led to the realization of works in the form of performances, installations or events during projects, somewhere along the way…

Duo drawing 20: Heuvelland (walk) • ink on Steinbach paper [50 cm x 40 cm] 2022-2023.

https://galleryysebaert.be/kunstenaars/stefaan-van-biesen/

[Mulberry Tree Walk] a portabel museum box about a social project Sint-Niklaas Belgium 2023.

Photo: Little Museum of Walks (IV) Mulberry Tree Walk. Stefaan van Biesen 2023.

Johan De Vos (writer):

"It was wonderful to experience that moment. The mulberry in the Brouwershof park on Hazewindstraat automatically takes on the allure of a memorial tree, because it is what it is. Rather old, a little crooked, with ailments like those of aged men, but still full of life. It is surrounded by social housing, the Turkish mosque and the still standing tower of the "standing seesaw" in Pastoor De Meerleerstraat. We then know that Christiane Thijs (1943-1988 asbestos victim) still knew that tree. It is the tree of the hope, life and beauty. Thanks to Stefaan Van Biesen, who reads one of his 'letters to trees' standing by that tree".

Koen Van Synghel (architect and critic): aaaagh, the Mulberry.

Tree Cult in Turkisch Culture and Mulberry Tree

"Determination of the elements which belong to the nature and the transference of various motifs to future generations are important for the Turks for preserving cultural values. One of the elements in the center of life is tree which is as essential as water, air, soil from the occurrence of the universe. First of all, tree represents the existence, the life, vitality and fertility. Many different roles are given to tree in Turkish and World cultures in history. In the first periods of ancient Turks, the sanctity which is attributed to various natural elements and to tree among them is in the way of praying to it. In that period, binding to the various natural elements in a religious-mystical sense brought about “cults”

One of the trees that sanctity is attributed to in tree cult is mulberry tree. Mulberry tree which is called the spirit of the house is also the symbol of the peace of house, future and abundance. In Turkish traditional structure, before laying the foundation of the house, planting of fruit trees around has been given priority. Planting of mulberry tree whose edge is burned and which is threw by Ahmet Yesevi in Velayetname of Haci Bektas Veli in front of Dergah of Haci Bektas Veli and making wish by tying cloth to the boughs of mulberry tree gives sanctity to the tree. This issue has especially gained importance in Alevi Bektashi tradition and has survived with various rituals until today.”

[Sag mir wo die Blumen sind] Group exhibition Museum castle Dépendance in Oiron France 2023.

30 years existenace of the art collection at the castle of Oiron. Conservator Jean-Luc Meslet.

Galery S&H De Buck Ghent Belgium.

Drawing ink on Steinbach paper. Study performance Rosentraum La Romieu 2016. [50 cm x 40 cm]

[Rosentraum] room installation. Red satin ex-voto's & tripod with notes on paper.

[Rosentraum / Leafless] study drawing performance. Ink, watercoloand pencil on Steinbach paper.

This study drawing 'Leafless' is based on a poem by the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. It is a study of a performance, which continued in a first version in 2017 in the Lefkosia Dancehouse in Nicosia during the Urban Emptiness Festival [performance by Maya Dalinsky USAl. Later in Athens [The Art Foundation] 2018 during the Analogio Festival [Leafless (IV)] Duo performance by Eleftheria Rapti & Lina Eftstathiou.

[My Daily Longings] Limited edition of prints on paper [Biotop paper A3]

[Sugar Blue Mountain Experience] watercolor & pencil on paper [2006].

The Spiritual and Christian Book Prize 2022. Leuven edition Belgium 2022.

The Spiritual and Christian Book Prize 2022. An annual award Medianetwerk Plus: the publishing organization for value-driven press • annually organizes the Prize for the Christian and Spiritual Book to bring leading books in this special genre to the fore for the general public. The Prize is a support for authors and publishers of books about meaning.

The submitted books are assessed by an authoritative, independent jury that guides the reader in choosing from the range. The Jury has compiled a shortlist of 3 books for both categories. From this shortlist, the jury chooses a winner in each category and the public can choose one book from both shortlists together for the public prize.

The jury Prize for the religious and spiritual book 2022

Chairman: Professor Rik Torfs, KU Leuven Vice-chairman: Mieke Van Hecke, honorary director general Catholic Education Flanders

Members: Professor Dirk De Wachter, psychiatrist • Rik Van Cauwelaert, journalist-columnist • Professor Wim Vandewiele • sociologist of religion Peter Malfliet: spokesperson for the diocese of Ghent • Professor Yvonne Denier, philosopher-ethicist.

Secretary of the jury: Jan Boulogne, secretary Medianetwerk Plus.

[Almanak van de Zoete Melancholie] a writing/drawing project with writer Johan De Vos 2022-2023.

Johan De Vos & Stefaan van Biesen Stefaan van Biesen made 27 drawings/watercolors on Steinbach paper A4 format. Art edition on 33 copies, signed Printed on Biotop paper 300 gr. at Fast Copy NV in Beveren (naturally bleached, chlorine-free paper, FSC certified with EU Ecolabel.

Layout & artistic assistance: Annemie Mestdagh

At the request of Stefaan van Biesen, Johan De Vos wrote a text for every drawing. An exciting collaboration between writer and draftsman. A cross-pollination between language and image. He writes about this: "Each image has a 'punctum', something that the viewer pays irrationally about and that will determine forever, certainly for him, perhaps for someone else, somewhere , also". Johan De Vos [1942] previously published five books on photography. He was director of the Municipal Academy of Fine Arts in Sint-Niklaas and wrote for De Morgen and De Standaard. He founded Stoff VZW to tackle the asbestos problem. maps and this led to the publication of 'Het Boek van Sint-Niklaas' and 'Christiane Thys'

Published by © Private Stichting Van Biesen - Mestdagh 2022.

[Earth Collections: Precious Cargo, ​Precious World 2020] Berlin Germany 2021-2023.

The Viewing Room for Earth Collections is now open for private showings in the home of Mary Patricia Warming [Berlin/USA, curator of ArtScie Exhibits Community Berlin - Humboldt University.

With the kind help of artist/filmmaker Alisi Telengut, her home has been filled with art and redesigned. The art works are either on display or "at the ready" to show to curators, directors, and art writers in Berlin. A new 24" Mac with a beautiful 4.5K retina display is set up for video screening.

Photo: installation 'Inscription X' Stefaan van Biesen 1993. ©Peter Maes.

Stefaan van Biesen 2020. Earth Collections, the Permanent Collection of the Art / NaturSci Movement

Time is pressing. In over 4.5 billion years of geological time, Earth’s carbon cycle has suffered few extremes like today's. We and our fellow species are in trouble - here and now. ​The immediacy of the effects of weather changes, humankind’s degradation of the forests and oceans, and the intimacy of the effects on us, is stunning. And the driving force for the determined action of many to meet these challenges head on. And so, Art Science Exhibits Berlin has developed the most solution based partnership possible - with Timbercoast Shipping, a brave, new company offering zero carbon footprint for transport. ​Because when people begin to connect to beautiful answers, change can occur. ​​​

See: https://www.artscienceexhibits.com/2020-artists-blog

Artists & Activists: Louise Beer [New Zeeland/UK], Dave Biddle & David Ehrenreich [Canada], Adam Crosson [USA], Brent Dedas [USA], Frederic Derieu & Nathalie Erin [France], Manuela Fisher [Switzerland], Nikolina Kovalenko [Russia], Dr. Agniezka Kozlowska [Poland], Jordan Lab [Max Planck Institute Germany], Les Marneurs architectural Group [France/Belgium], Gerardo Nolasco [Mexico], Nina Schipoff [Switzerland], Stefan Schlumpf [Switzerland], Alisi Telengut [Canada/Mongolia], Stefaan van Biesen [Belgium], Rosa Vitrano [Italy], MP Warming [Berlin/USA] founder.

About: Set in motion by international artist mp Warming, Art Science Exhibits Berlin is an independent enterprise created, and consistently recreated, by artists and scientists. The exhibitions and public programs we present work to greater the sphere of ArtSci conversation - towards positivity and solutions. Our mission for the future of nature-kind is to help regenerate Earth's ecosystems through innovative ideas and partnerships.

Future: Soon we will travel the Mediterranean for our first launch of Earth Collections, the Permanent Collection of the Art/NaturSci Movement. The collection will be a part of AVONTUUR's Manifest, which in turn will become a part of Earth Collections' archive. This Manifest, and our solution based exhibitions on Climate Change and Ecosystem Regeneration, is our Manifesto. With Timbercoast's AVONTUUR, we hope to influence a limit to the vast carbon footprint and pollution caused by shipping worldwide. Together we are working towards sailing the Adriatic into the 2022 Venice Biennale.