Wannes Goetschalckx

A residency with a performative character—for one month the artist remains and works only in the exhibition space of LAZNIA 2 CCA.

Wannes Goetschalckx creates performative installations, in which the limitations and abilities of his own body play an important role. He struggles with the space and own made objects and introduces elements of game, humor and visual language into his projects. Goetschalckx combines objects into sculptural settings, which he later analyses, changes and uses for his performative actions. “Being” and dealing with the created by the artist space/object become a starting point for producing a documentation, presented later as a video.

Goetschalckx explores the issue of emotional and physical constraints, imposed by our living environment. Challenging his own body and mind in a physical and mental way, his work reveals how man’s own limitations influence human life.

During his one month long residential stay in LAZNIA CCA, Goetschalckx focused entirely on artistic work. The artist has spent his whole residency in the exhibition room, which became his living and creative space. As days of the residency went by, the artist was gradually decreasing his space by building walls around himself, enclosing himself more and more in a snow white gallery box. Goetschalckx started his work by building a 9x9 square-meter space around himself, of 208 cm height walls. All working materials, his personal belongings and basic furniture were placed inside the space surrounded by walls. After finishing each wall, he began building a next square inside, a half meter smaller from each side from the previous one. As a result Goetschalckx built 8 squares around himself, finishing at 2x2 square-meters, with all objects left inside.

“We build borders. We build borders around our cities, around our countries. We build borders around our minds. To keep others out. Other ideas, other points of view, other structures, other habits. We set limits to our abilities. We are safe, but sorry. Occasionally we break down a wall. We enjoy the wide view and the fresh air. We explore new ideas, different viewpoints, refreshing structures, alien habits. Exploring leads to claiming, claiming leads to guarding. Guarding is bulding. We build borders.”
–the artist describes his project.

Residency program in LAZNIA CCA is aimed at Polish as well as foreign artists. One of its main objectives is to open space for creative dialogue. Residency is not constrained by the predetermined conditions. The period and the formula are tailored to artist’s needs and developed as a result of a joint dialogue. Process rather than the final artistic production is predominant.