Filip Vervaet, 'Sedimental Journey'
Filip Vervaet, 'Sedimental Journey'
Published on the occasion of the solo exhibition at PLUS-ONE Gallery
In collaboration with Stockmans Art Books
Text: Pàdraic E. Moore
Photography: Pieter Huybrechts
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Text: In this solo exhibition at PLUS-ONE Gallery new motifs with similar connotations are introduced such as the four-masted ship that calls to mind far-flung maritime voyages and exploratory (possibly colonial?) expeditions. Here Vervaet takes a relatively common, kitsch domestic ornament and subjects it to a variety of processes that transform it into an ambiguous artefact that looks like something unearthed in an archaeological excavation. The work exemplifies how many of Vervaet’s works possess a timeless quality, appearing simultaneously ancient but possessing details that are impossible to date accurately. As the title of this exhibition suggests Vervaet also looks to geology as an impetus for his work, what Robert Smithson refers to as “the layers of prehistoric material entombed in the Earth’s crust”. Ultimately, Vervaet’s work demonstrates a desire to create mysterious objects that would best be described as numinous. Originating from the Latin word numen meaning