Wouter Harvey is an Antwerp-based artist duo with a background in fashion. For many years now, they have been dedicating almost every spare moment to their ceramics practice. In the former Perignem workshop near Bruges, they manufacture outstanding pieces, and they do so each in their own individual style.
Wouter Hoste’s oeuvre is inspired by life in its many forms, from amoebas over insects and mammals to man, extending to the realm of extraterrestrial life. Technology and science, and the way they evolve, are another important source of inspiration, culminating in scientific imaging and its fantasy version: science fiction.
The theme for Wouter’s contribution to the upcoming show at ZEIT is Technofossils – ‘fossils’ of human origin, whether organic, semi-organic, or mechanical – and the fusion of the organic with the technological, leading to the creation of humanoids. The impact of our species on our Earth is unparalleled. It's about the Post-Anthropocene era. He wonders how future terrestrial – or extraterrestrial – civilizations will look at our archaeological footprint. In thousands of years’ time, will what we leave behind be considered trash or significant relics?
With his work, Wouter does not want to project a negative outlook, but rather an open-ended question about what will come our way. All's well that ends well?
When Harvey Bouterse is asked to explain his approach, he instantly brings up his quest for purity. A term that he does not associate with a desire for minimalism but with clarifying lines in order to return to pure volumes, exuding only essential characteristics.
Bound by heritage, his audacious and radical creations demonstrate a straightforward and assumed trait, somewhere between realism and abstraction. The particularity of his modus operandi is his ability to formulate evocative stories. As for the creative process, he refuses the notion of rules, allowing disciplines to merge. He composes according to his desires. It’s a resonance game that highlights all the beauty and poetry of his universe.
Please note that the Wouter Harvey exhibition will run for four weekends only, with slightly altered opening times:
Friday and Saturday from 2 to 7 pm
Sunday from 2 to 5 pm
