With each passing year, I'm noticing a steady increase in the relative number of abstract images, both when I'm shooting and again, when I'm culling.
Admittedly, perceiving landscapes through their intimate details has become somewhat of a second (or even first) nature by now, and when followed through, tends to result in a certain level of abstraction. That sense of tranquility too, that I try to extract from (or should I say 'impose on'?) what I see before me, consistently steers my images towards exclusion rather than inclusion.
That evolution is clearly evident when comparing Wastelands of the North (3-6 April 2026) to my first exhibitions, and it feels like I'm really coming into my own, even though most images were taken over the course of just a few dry(-ish) days during what was a very rainy 2025 visit to Iceland. Interestingly, a few older, mostly unpublished images were displayed as well, not to 'fill the walls', but because only now the idea behind them had gestated enough to have gelled into a coherent set of prints.
This time the venue was a former coach house, situated in Park Baron Casier, and sitting next to a mansion turned cafetaria. The building has been renovated by the city of Waregem and appropriated as an exhibition space. As it turned out, demand among artists is so high that rental reservations have to be made more than a year and a half in advance.
The space consists of three separate rooms and an entrance area, and retains a decidedly rustic vibe, despite the white walls and the modern light fixtures. Somewhat to my surprise, both the framed prints and the Diasec Trulife pieces blended in perfectly, making use of the three rooms to present three different sets.
The feedback from the many visitors was both vocal and exhilarating, to the point of being a bit overwhelming at times, to be honest. I couldn't have wished for a more rewarding experience ...
A big thanks to Eliza Tatulescu, for curating this one !
