Each passing year, I'm noticing a steady increase of the relative number of abstract images, both when I'm shooting and again, when I'm culling.
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. The 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.
Wastelands of the North (3-6 April 2026) mainly showed images from what was a very rainy 2025 visit to Iceland, taken over the course of just a few dry(-ish) days. Interestingly, a few older 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 its 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. I made 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 !
