Enigmatic figures are frozen in time in Hans Op de Beeck’s realistic, monochrome sculptures — Colossal



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#Hans Op de Beeck #installation #sculpture

Sitting on the ground with one arm resting on her knee, an exhausted boxer recovers from physical exertion Hans Op de Beeckthe newest life-size sculpture of « Hélène ». Coated in the artist’s signature shade of gray, the work captures the interplay of light and shadow to reveal subtle folds of fabric, padding and the physical characteristics of the figures. « Op de Beeck has always paid particular attention to the moment in which we let go of our social roles and our daily concerns and surrender to a moment in which we are nobody and nowhere for a while », at declaration he says, « when we slip into the unknown of the subconscious. »

A number of dualities are central to Op de Beeck’s practice, such as waking and sleeping, movement and stillness, or life and death. « Danse Macabre, » for example, juxtaposes the playful and nostalgic motif of a baroque carousel with skull ornaments and a ghostly skeleton in a long gown, symbolically examining the cycle of life and the relationships between present and past, vitality and mortality, and joy and horror.

The monumental sculptures of Op de Beeck (previously) often focus on a central, heroic figure, such as « The Boatman » or « The Horseman, » below, which depict lithe, enigmatic figures who seem about to embark on adventures. Underlying these depictions is a sense that while the characters appear to be in motion, they are simultaneously frozen in time.

Detail of “We were the last ones standing”. Photo by Blaise Adilon, © Biennale de Lyon 2022

At the 2022 Lyon Biennale, Op de Beeck’s immersive installation « We were the last to stay » invited viewers into an alternate reality containing the remains of a mysterious, possibly apocalyptic event. Devoid of people, the scene is that of a small community where the residents may have advocated a simple lifestyle. Every surface is clad in grey, with overturned chairs and cleared houses. The visitors, inherently dressed in a colorful and lively way, activated the installation highlighting the strong contrasts between presence and absence.

Op de Beeck also refers to the tradition of vanity, a genre of still life painting popularized during the Dutch Golden Age that relied on symbolism to show the fleeting nature of life, the certainty of death, and the futility of pleasure, wealth, or glory. Immersed somewhere between reality, dreams and imagined adventures, the artist leaves interpretations open: did something happen that petrified the world? Will it always stay like this? As if petrified, “The Horseman” will eternally look over his shoulder, just as “Hélène” will continue to rest.

See other works by Op de Beeck on his website AND Instagram.

Detail of “Hélène”

“Gesture (laurel crown)” (2022), polyester, polyamide and coating, 55 x 54.5 x 20 centimeters

“Danse Macabre” (2021), installation of steel, aluminium, wood, polyester, polyamide, polyurethane, PVC-coated nylon, plaster and cladding, 11 x 11 x 6.5 meters

“Gesture (bird)” (2022), polyester, polyamide and lining, 37 x 45 x 20 centimeters

“Gesture (dandelion clock)” (2022), polyester, polyamide, silk, wire and coating, 14 x 53 x 21cm

“We were the last to stay” (2022), mixed immersive installation, 790 × 240 × 136 centimeters. Photo by Blaise Adilon, © Biennale de Lyon 2022

“We were the last ones standing” visitors

Detail of “We were the last ones standing”. Photo by Blaise Adilon, © Biennale de Lyon 2022

“The Horseman” (2020), polyester, steel, polyamide, brass, coating and bronze, 215 x 92 x 243cm

Details of « The Knight »

#Hans Op de Beeck #installation #sculpture

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